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<title>.::The War on Falling Stars Chapter 10:: Stolen Child/Someone You Loved by Antigravity_Carnivore</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27490249">.::The War on Falling Stars Chapter 10:: Stolen Child/Someone You Loved</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore'>Antigravity_Carnivore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The War on Falling Stars [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Breaking Benjamin - Fandom, Starset - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Dark, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Future Fic, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Music, Musicians, Rape, Science Fiction, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:21:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,403</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27490249</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ember comes face to face with her worst nightmare in the halls of the Shallow Bay, leading to Aurora discovering something terrible, while Burnley's fate lies in the hands of Dustin Bates.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dustin Bates/Benjamin Burnley, Dustin Bates/Brock Richards</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The War on Falling Stars [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1322462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>.::The War on Falling Stars Chapter 10:: Stolen Child/Someone You Loved</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am including some song references from this point on in the story that my #1 fan has chosen for it. I will be posting them from this point on.</p><p>Song for the first half: https://youtu.be/4-3g6RGuPZE</p><p>Second half: https://youtu.be/2k43Th9u2FU</p><p>I'd like to apologize for the graphic nature of the 2nd half of this chapter. I know it's dark and disturbing but I feel that it is necessary to show the dark path that one of the characters has taken as he slowly descends into madness.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>.::The War on Falling Stars Chapter 10:: Stolen Child/Someone You Loved</p><p> </p><p>	Ember sat on the cold, hard, unforgiving floor of the Shallow Bay. She had drawn her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, rocking herself in a gentle comforting motion.  Her head was lowered, and the long red waves hair spilled down over her shoulders, hiding her face. Consumed by fear, she was paralyzed and completely unable to move. Realization was starting to set in now, and she was suddenly very aware that what she had just done was wrong… so very wrong.  Frightened and terrified that she disappointed the man whom she loved very much, Ember made a rash decision which was fueled by panic and a desperate need to make things right. Giving the Eden drug to young Tristan wasn’t premeditated or planned, it was just something that happened. Dustin’s words to her put doubt in her mind that Burnley would severely punish her for leaving Brock behind, and that was the deciding factor which forced her hand. Discovering that Brock was Burnley’s lover both infuriated Ember and made her terrified at the same time. Deep down inside, she knew that she could never give Burnley what he wanted, she couldn’t compete with the memories and the intimacy that he and Brock had together. Dustin had spoken the truth that opened her eyes. The entire trip to Earth was all conceived just to bring Brock back to Prox, Burnley was willing to sacrifice everything to be with him again and that sparked jealousy in her young mind.  In a way, Ember knew this. Normally so composed and in control of his emotions, she saw something in Burnley’s eyes while he held the unconscious Brock in his arms. It wasn’t a casual wanton need or obsession, it was something more like the desire to love and protect, and that is exactly how she wanted him to feel about her. Trying as hard as she could, Ember tried to follow Burnley’s orders, do whatever he wanted her to do, but when it came down to leaving someone behind, she knew who it had to be. Her mind screamed at her to do what she was told but her heart refused to listen. Confused and afraid of being rejected by Burnley, she left Brock behind on purpose. In the end, she wanted to have Burnley’s affections all to herself, and now was going to suffer for her decision. </p><p>	The sound of movement at the end of the hall made her cringe. She knew he was there, the Shepherd of the Damned, waiting to punish her for what she had done. A fleeting memory filled her head, the soft touch of his hand as he held onto hers and took her away. His eyes were filled with nothing but love and compassion.  She felt warm and protected just being near him. In his gentle, deep voice, he promised her that she would be safe here on Prox because Earth was going to become a dangerous place to be and he was taking all the children away. Ember trusted the Shepherd; he was goodness, kindness and everything else decent in the world. He would never hurt her. That’s what she thought, until now. </p><p>	Clutching her knees tighter against her chest, she could feel the warm tears splash down onto her legs. He was going to come for her and take her away, probably some place awful and punish her. She would never get to see Burnley again. “Go away.” She whispered. Her voice was almost inaudible. Barely just a teenager, Ember’s emotions couldn’t handle what was going on now, and mentally she was regressing into a child, cowering in the corner, rocking back and forth and repeating the same words over and over. “go away go away go away”. Behind her, there was no sound from the bedroom. She was certain that the Eden drug had killed Tristan, which now made her a murderer. For the first time in her short life, she was starting to feel guilt and regret. Normally it would take an ordinary person a long time, months or years to get over something terrible that they had done, but now for her, vengeance was coming swiftly on black wings. Digging her fingernails into the skin of her legs, she sobbed and trembled in fear, waiting for him to take her. “go away, go away GO AWAY!” </p><p>	He moved closer to her; she could hear his footsteps come to a stop beside her. The air in the corridor was deathly cold. Every muscle in her body was tense and on edge. Her mind raced. Would he take her life for taking Tristan’s? Would he be gracious and banish her outside to the blistering sands and ravenous Carnivores of Prox? Or maybe he would just snap his fingers and blink her out of existence? How could she ever pay for taking the life of another child, being that she was still partly a child herself? The Shepherd now knelt down next to her. She could sense his presence. The curious side of her wanted to sneak a peek, take a quick look at him, just once more to see those beautiful gray green eyes, but she knew that they would be filled with disappointment. He had brought her here to Prox to protect her and her innocence, and in one single moment of stupid jealousy, she betrayed him and let him down. Finally managing to get her emotions in check, Ember took a deep breath and tried her best to be brave. Her mouth was dry, her throat was parched, but she managed to get two words out. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>	A gentle hand touched her shoulder. Ember’s heart raced. This was it. The end of all things for her. She would never get the chance to say goodbye to Scott and Travis. There was a quick flash of memory before her, two men helping her decorate a Christmas tree. Everyone was laughing and having fun. She wrapped her arms around the man with the beard that she knew as Scott, and he pulled the other, smaller man, Travis over for a silly group hug. Someone brought out a phone and they took a family selfie. It was the best holiday ever. She was filled with laughter and light.  Then as quickly as it came, it left again and Ember exhaled and lifted her head up, startled by the vision. ‘what was that? Do I know these people?’ Looking to her side in a sluggish haze, she saw a woman with long white hair dressed in desert tactical gear kneeling down next to her, speaking quietly to her. Her words were soothing and calming, but even so, they frightened her, and Ember immediately scurried away, her small feet pushing on the dirty floor, trying to put distance between them. </p><p>	The woman stood up and held her hands out. “Hey, it’s alright, I am not going to hurt you. I was just checking to see if you needed help. You’re covered in blood. Are you okay?”</p><p>	Confused, Ember looked around the other passages which led away from the bedroom. The lights flickered on and off, throwing bizarre shapes of shadows on the walls just like they had always done, over the floor and ceiling, but otherwise, there was no one there. Everything was silent. Had she really seen the Shepherd or was it all in her head? “I… I don’t know.” She mumbled glancing down at her clothing. She was in a such a rush to get Burnley help that she forgot to change and was covered in his blood.  </p><p>	Standing her ground, the woman pulled her hood down and took off her goggles. She gazed at Ember with oddly colored lavender eyes.  Small wisps of her pristine white hair fell into her face and she pushed them away. “Okay let’s take this one step at a time. I’m Aurora, what’s your name?”</p><p>	Immediately suspicious, Ember snapped out of her stupor and tried to center herself again. The ‘Shepherd’ or whatever she had seen which greatly disturbed her was gone now, nothing more than a shadow that vanished at dawn, and she knew that she had nothing to fear, except for the woman standing in front of her. Remembering what Burnley had taught her about seeing an intruder in the base, she immediately went into defensive mode. Using the wall for support, she pulled herself to her feet, a little wobbly. Her eyes darted around, sizing up the woman in front of her looking for weapons as she spoke. She had the usual Rebel garb on, light colored pants, top, long flowing coat with hood, and shirt to match, but the thing that drew Ember’s attention was the gun strapped to her thigh. She would have to find a way to get it away from this stranger. Burnley was unconscious, in a state of extreme peril, and Ember knew that no matter what, she had to protect him and their home, it was all up to her now until he got back on his feet. For the first time in her life, she felt needed. The fear that she was feeling before melted away, and now she felt incredibly irritated because there was someone in the base who didn’t belong there. If Burnley would awaken and find them having a friendly chat, Ember would be surely punished. Her mind started to work now, as a plan came to mind. “My name is Ember.” She answered in a small voice. “How did you get in here? There are security systems in place.”</p><p>	“I was sent here to retrieve someone. A child, his name is Tristan. Do you know him?” Seeing the look of defiance on Ember’s face, Aurora knew that the confrontation was about to get ugly. She would have to do everything she could to keep things under control. “I am not here for anything else. I just want the kid. This little boy, Tristan, he was taken from Earth and brought here. His father is very concerned about him and wants him back. I don’t want to cause trouble, and if you tell me where he is, I’ll be out the door before you can blink. No one else needs to get involved. I’ll let you go on your way, and I’ll go on mine.”</p><p>	Ember’s heart thumped painfully in her chest.  If only the woman standing in front of her knew how close she was to him at that very moment. She took a step towards the door to the bedroom and rested her fingertips on the cold metal behind her back. It was still deathly quiet inside. She bit her bottom lip. “There aren’t any children here. You have made a mistake.” The lie slipped out of her mouth as easy as breathing. </p><p>	Aurora rested her hand on the hilt of the gun. “Except yourself of course.” </p><p>	Raising her head a little, Ember focused her eyes directly on Aurora and shot her a look of fury. “You're wrong, I am not a child.”</p><p>	“No, but you’re not exactly an adult either. Judging from the amount of blood on your clothing and the condition I found you in when I got here, I’d say that you’re in trouble, and I think you know more than you are letting on.” Aurora’s fingers danced lightly over the weapon.  “The way I see it, you have two options here. The first one, is the easiest and by far the smartest one. You know this place better than I do, so you agree to help me find this little boy and as I said earlier, the two of us go our separate ways and you can carry on with whatever you were doing before I got here. I don’t want to get involved in any sort of drama on this godforsaken planet, so this seems to be the best solution. Help me find Tristan, and we go. Easy, right?”</p><p>	Crossing her arms over her chest, Ember glared at Aurora. “And what’s the second option, what if I don’t want to help you?”</p><p>“Then I will rip this place apart until I find him, and not let anything get in my way. That includes you and your 'father'.” Aurora’s voice rung out in the empty corridor, confident and intimidating.</p><p>Ember inhaled sharply.  “How… how do you know about my father?”</p><p>“Thomas Bell, Tristan’s father told me all about him. He’s a vile, evil man who….”</p><p>	Ember snapped, she had had enough. She stomped her feet on the ground and shouted.  “NO, HE’S NOT! STOP SAYING THAT! WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK LIKE THAT? I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING THE SAME WORDS REPEATED OVER AND OVER!!! YOU ALL HAVE IT WRONG!  MY FATHER IS A GOOD PERSON. HE TAKES CARE OF ME; THIS IS OUR HOME! HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE AND SAY THIS! GET OUT, GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I KILL YOU!”</p><p>	Aurora startled by the unexpected outburst cocked her head to the side. She gazed intently at Ember. There was no way she was going to let this teenager intimidate her. She expected some defiance, but this tantrum was completely uncalled for. It was more fitting for a small child, than an almost grown woman. Aurora raised an eyebrow, she was suddenly aware that the Ember had revealed one of her lies. “Ember… you said it was just you and your father here… who else is saying these things to you?”</p><p>	Wiping the tears off her cheeks, Ember straightened up her bloodstained shirt. She cowered in the corner like a frightened animal.  Her eyes kept going from the gun at Aurora’s side to the empty hall beyond, trying to devise a plan. She had wasted too much time here, first with Tristan and then with this stranger now, and Burnley could very well be up and on his feet, looking for her. She had to get back as quickly as possible. Her mouth was dry and her lips were incredibly parched as she spoke up.  “Some douche-bag named Dustin.” </p><p>	Immediately going pale, Aurora took a step over, closer to Ember. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Is he here now, in this place? How long ago did you speak to him?</p><p>	Ember tilted her head to the side. This was her chance.  She planted the bait and waited to reel her in. “About half an hour ago.” She looked past Aurora down the dimly lit corridor. “He’s right down there, if you want to see him.” She stepped out from her corner, now finally starting to gain some leverage in the confrontation with the stranger. “I found him out on Prox, near death, starving, ripped apart by Carnivores and suffering from severe burns. Burnley…er…Father took him in and nursed him back to health. He’s up there right now in the medical wing.”</p><p>	Turning in the direction which Ember had pointed, Aurora felt her stomach begin to churn. Dustin Bates was the sole reason why New West had removed her from her position and exiled her to this godforsaken planet. It was the foolish infatuation he had with her that made him to blind to see that she didn’t care the same for him. Before she had met him, she had power in New West; they trusted her and she was fiercely devoted to them. Then Dustin came along and ruined everything. When their ship crashed on Prox, Aurora knew that it was her chance to be rid of him once and for all.  The electrical system started a fire in the passenger hold upon impact, and seeing that Dustin was unconscious, Aurora found it easy to sneak out and securely lock the door behind her. He would suffer a horrendous fate, yes, but she felt no remorse, no sadness in it, simply because he had it coming. She had warned him countless times about their nonexistent relationship and since he chose to ignore those warnings, there was only one thing she could do to remove him permanently from her life. With nothing left to return to now on Earth, she resigned herself to living peacefully on Prox with Thomas Bell, and the children. They would be her family now. She needed nothing else. Aurora swallowed hard, choking back both a lump that had formed in her throat and her wild emotions. “Take me to him.” She said cooly. “I want to see the bastard.”</p><p>	Relieved that she was no longer concerned about Tristan, Ember nodded. “Sure, I will take you to him.” She stepped out from her corner and moved around Aurora, glancing back over her shoulder. “This way. Follow me.” Ember was ecstatic, she had managed to talk her way out of what could have been a potentially dangerous situation, and more importantly, she was heading back to Burnley now. She was hoping against hope that she would push those steel doors open and step inside to see her father sitting up in the bed, his strong statuesque torso wrapped in clean white gauze and all healed. As she entered, he'd see her and his face would light right up with happiness, after all, it was Ember herself who made the decision to bring Lizzie along to Prox so that she could save his life. Burnley would be so happy; he would summon her to his side and draw her into his arms, holding onto her with every bit of strength that he had, completely unwilling to let her out of his sight ever again. He would find a way to deal with Aurora, Lizzie and Dustin, and then Ember would calmly explain what happened on earth with Brock. Together, they would find a way to put everything right again. This is the way it was going to go, it just had to be. </p><p>	With slow steps, Ember made her way through the hall. Behind her, she could hear Aurora’s ragged breathing. A small smile crept over Ember’s lips. Burnley always told her that everyone has a weak point in their life. For some it was a pet, a child, or even a lover that they would easily give up their world for. It was just a matter of finding it. The best part is that once you have cracked their shell, exposed the weakness, then it was the most pleasurable part of it all, exposing it and ripping their life apart. Ember never really got the chance to play with anyone like this, and to her it was beginning to be most enjoyable.  If only she had more time, she could lure the unsuspecting New West agent into a web of lies and deception and then dispatch her in the most violent and cruel way. This is what Burnley would want her to do, this is what she wanted… or was it? Ember ran her hands over her arms, there was a strange chill in the corridor now as they drew closer to the medical wing. The bloodstains on her shirt had dried hours ago, leaving behind a terribly stiff material that scratched against her skin. She wished that she had taken a moment to clean herself up and make herself a bit more presentable. Burnley was always impeccably neat and tidy, and if he saw her in the state that she was in, he might get upset. An unexpected little giggle escaped Ember’s lips, and Aurora turned around and stopped.</p><p>	“Is something amusing to you?” Aurora asked in a irritated tone. Ember shook her head back and forth, the long tendrils of red hair flew across her face and she wrinkled her nose. Aurora glared at her. “Why are you laughing?”</p><p>	“Didn’t mean to. It just… uh…came out.” Ember blushed and lowered her head, scuffing her feet against one another for a moment. The truth was that she was thinking of Burnley not caring about what happened with Brock, or not caring that the portal to Earth had exploded and there was  no way back. No… she was thinking about him being upset because of the stains on her shirt and boots. He would be furious with her, and possibly scold her. Yes, that was it, he’d have to put his hands on her and punish her, maybe even rip the soiled garments right off her body one at a time, scald her in hot water to make sure she was ‘clean’ again. These thoughts filled her head and took over her emotions, shoving everything else away for the moment. Her body was tingling, and even though the narrow corridor was frigid cold, beads of perspiration began to bead up on her upper lip.</p><p>	“Ember. What is going on? Your face is beet red.” Aurora leaned in a little bit closer. “What the hell is going on with you?” She reached out and grabbed Ember’s wrists. They both looked down to see that Ember’s fingers were curled into the palms of her hands, and there was blood dripping down, falling softly onto the concrete floor. Slowly, Ember uncurled her aching fingers. Small half moon shaped nail prints were embedded in the skin. “There’s something terribly wrong with you.”</p><p>	Pulling her hands away, Ember wiped them on her already stained shirt. “It's time for my medicine.” She looked back towards the door to the bedroom where Tristan, and the Eden drug was. She started to shake, she knew that she couldn’t go back there. “I… I… don’t know where it is though. Father knows. I’ve got to go see father.”</p><p>	“Take me to Dustin and you can go wherever you like.” Aurora said, stepping out of the way. “I need to see him face to face.”</p><p>	Nodding, Ember motioned toward the end of the hall. “It’s just down here.” </p><p>	Aurora gave the girl a gentle pat on the arm and then started to move again, picking up the pace and walking faster now. Ember searched her mind and tried to reason with the thoughts that had just overtaken her, but she couldn’t figure it out. The Eden drug, her medicine, is what was keeping her mentally stable. It was the only logical explanation to the cause of her sudden and odd change in behavior. Now more than ever, she wanted to get back to Burnley, to be at his side and have him run his fingers through her hair and tell her that everything was going to be alright. </p><p>	Completely lost in her thoughts, Ember almost didn’t realize that they were nearly at the entrance to the medical wing until she glanced up and saw Aurora standing near the double doors which led into the infirmary, looking in through the windows which were far to high for her to see on her own. The expression on her face made Ember stop in her tracks, a few feet away. Aurora glanced over to Ember and slowly shook her head. “Don’t come up here.” She said very quietly. </p><p>	Ember wanted to move forward, but her terrified feet were rooted to the floor. “Why? What’s wrong?”</p><p>	Aurora held her arm out. “EMBER, just do as I say and don’t come any closer.” Ember could see that her hands were shaking. “I’ve never seen anything like this….it’s…urk.” Turning her head to the side, Aurora’s stomach clenched and she started to vomit. Ember stood a few feet away, her eyes wide. After a few moments when the entire contents of Aurora’s stomach were deposited on the floor, she used her arm to wipe away the remnants of drool that had formed in the corners of her mouth and tried her best to regain some sense of decency. Removing the gun from the where it was strapped to her leg, Aurora powered it up and looked to Ember. “I have to go in there, but you need to stay outside. Do you hear me?”</p><p>	In a voice that seemed small and childlike, much not like her own, Ember whispered. “What’s in there?”</p><p>	“Something for you not to see.”</p><p>	Ember’s knees started to buckle and it took every bit of strength that she had to keep herself still. The smell of the vomit on the floor was make her nauseous, and her body going into Eden drug withdrawal didn’t make things any better. She wanted to insist again, but her head was spinning and arguing with Aurora felt pointless. She wanted to go lay down. </p><p>	Satisfied that Ember would keep her distance, Aurora slowly pushed the doors open. A bright red wave of blood came gushing out of the doors, soaking right into her boots. It was thick and warm and immediately started to trickle down the hall towards Ember. The momentum of the doors being opened made them creak open a little further, and Aurora gasped as a man’s hand flopped out at her feet.<br/>
Losing all touch with reality, Ember screamed and turned around, heading back down the hall, putting as much distance between her and the door to the infirmary as she could. She needed Burnley, she needed her father, but there was this terrible feeling now inside of her that it was his arm sticking out of the door, and it was his blood which now followed her down the corridor. Her hair flying out around her face, tears in her green eyes, Ember ran and ran. Aurora called after her, but she didn't care. She was trying to get away from more than just the gruesome sight, she was trying to get away from the guilt inside of her that was eating her alive. As she ran, she ripped off the bloodstained shirt, her small fingers desperately pawing at the folds, trying to get a grip on them while running. With a quick yank, she found a edge and pulled as hard as she could. The buttons popped off and went skidding in different directions. Throwing the material down onto the floor, she kept running, now topless except for a ill fitting bra that she had scavenged a long time ago from one of the abandoned rooms in the base. She glanced down at her hands and saw that they were still stained red, the terrible color, the color of her guilt. Behind her, Aurora had disappeared into the infirmary. Ember thought for sure that she would hear the sound of gunfire, or maybe Aurora screaming again, but there was nothing. The eerie silence made things worse. Her vision blurred by her tears, Ember didn’t know where she was going, or how long she had been running for, until she rounded a corner and skidded right into a man dressed in black.</p><p>	The force of the impact caused her to fall down onto the concrete floor with a thud, and she laid there for a moment, sobbing and shivering. The man came over to her, and without a word, picked her up in his arms and started to carry her off. Ember knew that she should fight, or at least make a attempt to escape but she was tired. Her body caught in the painful throes of Eden withdrawal, the events of the last few hours, and seeing the horrific sight in the infirmary was too much for her. The last thing she heard were the man’s soft words. “Go to sleep Emmie. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” She gave up and let the darkness consume her. </p><p>	Hours later, Ember slowly drifted back into consciousness. She was in a over sized soft bed, surrounded by comfortable pillows and blankets, warm and content. Curling up into a ball, she felt her muscles twitch and complain harshly and decided it was best just to lay still for a little bit longer. She was drifting, floating on a cloud high above the world, where it was quiet and serene. Nothing could touch her. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed dully at her hand as it lay on the pillow next to her. Her skin was clean and soft, no signs of blood smeared across her knuckles, no traces of dried and flaky red bits under her nails, nothing. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through her hair, waiting to feel the matted bird nest of dirt and grime that had collected there, but there was nothing. Her long red strands of hair were clean and silky, drawn up neatly into a tight braid which hung down her back. “It was a dream?” She asked out loud, but there was no one there to answer except the echo of her own voice. Sitting up, the blanket fell away from her body, and she noticed that the clothing which she could remember wearing was all gone now, replaced with a clean set of desert fatigues that were a little to big for her, yet still incredibly comfortable. Glancing around the room, her eyes searched for something… anything familiar that might tell her where she was. Then she saw him, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a blue teddy bear. Her heart skipped a beat, she thought it was her father, Burnley, keeping watch over her as she slept, but she was wrong. Their eyes met and she couldn’t speak. It was Tristan.</p><p>	“How are you feeling” He asked. His voice was gentle, like the wind.</p><p>	He was now her age, with wavy chestnut brown hair and eyes far darker and softer than she had ever seen. His features looked the same as he did as a child; trusting, innocent and caring. The soft waves of hair fell to the tops of his ears, framing a very fine face. The black shirt that  he had scavenged from Burnley’s closet hung loosely over his torso, left carelessly open a bit, and Ember could see just a bit of his chiseled chest poke out from between the folds of fabric. This was no longer the little boy who had been trapped in a coma for over a year, but a grown man, nearly perfect in every detail. </p><p>	“Tristan?” Ember struggled for her voice. “Is that really you?”</p><p>	The young man smiled at her. His brown eyes sparkled like diamonds in the dim light. “You and I have played together since we were small children. I sincerely hope that you would remember me, no matter how much I’ve changed. I would know you anywhere, Ember, is it not the same for you?”</p><p>	Looking away from him, Ember pulled the blankets up tight around her body. Her eyes caught sight of the closet door slightly ajar, and beyond it the faint light which came from the shelves where the Eden drug was kept. Tristan followed her gaze and stood up from the bed and made his way over to the closet, giving the heavy wooden doors a shove and pushed them closed.</p><p> “You don’t have to worry about that anymore Ember.” Tristan turned slowly around and stepped into the light. Ember could see that his hands, wrists and forearms were all covered in deep lacerations, caked with dried blood. Noticing that her eyes had spotted the wounds, Tristan pulled his shirt sleeves down and hastily fastened buttons at the cuffs.  </p><p>“Why are you bloody?” She murmured.</p><p>“I’ve put an end to all of this madness. The Eden drug is an atrocity which should never be used on anyone, much less innocent children, so I took it upon myself to destroy every last bit of it that I could find. You don’t need that ‘medicine’ anymore Emmie, you are finally free of it, and of him too. You are just like me robbed of a childhood…and there is one other. This must never happen again. It goes against nature itself. We are all nothing more than lab rats, meant to be used and tossed away.”</p><p>Blinking, Ember looked over to the boy, no… man standing before her. She was trying so hard to make sense of what he was saying. Her head buzzed and felt like there were hundreds of bees flying around inside of it. She gave him a confused look. “The Eden drug was used on someone else?” She asked softly. Deep inside, she really didn’t want to know who it was. It didn’t concern her at all, but part of her was curious, and it also comforted her to know that someone else had also forced the drug onto another. “Who?”</p><p>Tristan nodded. “Her name was Aurora.”</p><p>Ember’s eyes widened. She started to say something and then stopped. “How do you know all of this? A few hours ago, you were just a kid coloring in a book.”</p><p>“It’s quite a extraordinary thing, really.” Gazing at her with a soft, gentle look, Tristan managed a small smile. “The Shepherd told me. After you gave me that massive dose of the Eden drug, I felt my body changing. Bones were snapping, skin was stretching. It was horrific. I wanted to shout, to call for help, but my mouth was filled with blood, as my teeth shot through the soft flesh of my gums. My spine contorted, as each one of my muscles and tendons snaked around the ever-growing bones; the nerves constantly on fire sending wave after wave of pain through me. I felt my skull expanding, cracking and shifting…and it was the most terrible pain I have ever felt in my entire life… but the worst part about it all, is that when it was done, and I looked into that mirror over there, HIS mirror….” Stretching his arm out, Tristan pointed, and Ember’s eyes followed to a shattered floor length mirror on the opposite side of the room. Pieces of the silver shards were scattered over the floor in front of it, with dark pools of blood staining the plush carpet in places. She put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping. Unable to stare at those deep red stains for a moment longer, she looked back over at him, her face pale and white. Tristan had to force the lump in his throat back down before he could continue.  “Don’t you feel it Ember? All around us. This place belongs to him. He controls everything and everyone, including you. I refused to be a pawn for you, for him, for anyone ever again. If I gave into the urges inside of me, I could have easily walked out that door, gave into the pain and became just like him. I didn’t want that, I didn’t want to be in this body, I couldn’t face my mother like this, she’d be devastated. Humiliated and ashamed, I said my goodbyes to my family, shattered that mirror and sliced into my arms. Being dead would be better than being what I had become.”</p><p>Refusing to cry, Ember bit her lower lip and dug her nails into the blanket that was draped over her. She could feel a small droplet of blood pool up and seep into her mouth. The pain, that’s what she had to concentrate on to stop herself from showing emotions, the pain and nothing else. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything to Tristan, all the words were gone now, replaced by incredible guilt and remorse. It sat heavy on her chest now like a thousand bricks, all pushing down on her at once. She was the reason that he tried to kill himself, her hand brought this on a innocent child. It wasn't Burnley or anyone else who did it, it was her.  She wanted him to stop talking and just go away. Everything had to go away now. It was the only way to make things right. She heard a voice in her head it was her father, Burnley’s voice. ‘Close your eyes Ember and pretend none of this is happening. Concentrate on the pain, let him talk, and when he’s done, he will lower his guard and you can kill him. It will shut him up forever and you can forget it happened. Silence takes away emotions. All you have to do is close your eyes now.’ </p><p>For a moment, she did as the voice told her, and in the inky darkness, all she could see was Tristan’s beautiful face, his dark eyes staring back at her with nothing more than complete and utter love and trust. This was something she had seen before, a long time ago, in another life, in the tree-house under the star filled sky.  “….no…” she said to the voice inside of her head. “….no…. I am done listening to you.” Taking a deep breath, Ember opened her eyes again, refusing to give in, and lifted her head slightly back to Tristan. She would accept the guilt now. He was still standing there, keeping his distance from her, with that sweet, innocent but damaged look on his face, showing no hatred, no anger, just acceptance. Her heart went out to him. “All this, and you don’t hate me?” </p><p> </p><p>“Ember, I don’t think I could ever hate you.”</p><p>Hearing his words, Ember couldn’t help but to smile. It had been the first time in weeks that she allowed herself to feel happiness. It was like going outside on a warm summer evening after the rain had ended. She never wanted this feeling to end. “I am sorry that I put you through all this, but in a way…I guess I am glad that you are here now, with me. I don't feel so.... alone....anymore.”</p><p>“You made a mistake, Em, and so did I, but you have to believe that things happen for a reason. You did what you did because it felt right at the time, and you followed your heart, not your head. My mistake was identical. My heart was breaking over what I had seen in the mirror, the adult that I had become, and I was ashamed of it. I couldn’t imagine living life this way, because I couldn’t see past my own arrogance. I sat there, bleeding out and everything was warm and soothing, I was happy, but it lasted for only a moment. My brain screamed at me, telling me that I was taking a coward’s way out. I was thinking only of myself and forgetting about the thing that I care most about in this world… you.”</p><p>Ember’s heart skipped a beat. She remained motionless on the bed. Her toes curled underneath the blanket. </p><p>“I don’t know if I called to him, or came to me on his own, but the next thing I know, the Shepherd was standing before me once again.  He healed my wounds and stayed with me, holding me in his arms as I sobbed all the anger out of me.” Tristan closed his eyes for a moment, remembering. “Then  he wept with me.” Holding out his arms, Tristan touched his fingertips to the inside of his elbows. “I can still feel those tears splash down on my bare flesh. It was something truly miraculous. He told me about the Eden drug, and what it had done to me, and you, and….his daughter, Aurora.” Tristan paused, shuddering. “Can you imagine what it must have been like, being born into this world only for a few hours and then forced to endure such torment? That’s cruelty beyond belief. The trials she had gone through have marked her, changed her both physically and mentally. Hearing this, hearing the tone in his voice, I knew that I would do anything to prevent this from happening again. I had been given a mission. It was to destroy the drug, which I easily have done. I shattered each one of those vials in my bare hands. I felt the glass bite into me and sting me with it's venom. For a moment I panicked, thinking that it would somehow affect me too, but it didn't. I can't explain why, but the Eden drug had no effect on me at all. I was the only one who could destroy it, the only one who wouldn't be tempted to use it. It's completely gone now, thanks to you leading me here.  Now the only thing left to do is  get you out of here. There is a place where we can go… It’s not far from here…The Shepherd showed me...if you will let me take you…”</p><p>“Who did it? Was it… Burnley…? I mean my father. Was he the one that gave Aurora the Eden drug?” Ember asked, not even bothering to acknowledge what Tristan said to her. She could feel a warm flush of color rising on her cheeks. </p><p>There was a light change of tone in Tristan’s voice. “No. It wasn’t Burnley. It was someone else, I am not sure who. It doesn't matter. The Shepherd only told me what I needed to know, and most of that was about getting you out of here.” The gentle look on his face quickly fading, Tristan took another step closer to Ember. “Em, did you even hear what I said… about leaving?”</p><p>Ember started to feel sick to her stomach again. All that she had known in her life was slowly falling apart, changing and all she wanted to do was go back to the way that things were, just her and Burnley. No one else. The two of them living on Prox together, forever. Everything had gone to hell now, and she didn’t know how to get it back. Her eyes filled with tears. Tristan was complicating things. Whatever she was feeling for him made her heart hurt, and more so, the idea of leaving all that she had known behind was terrifying, and yet still, she wanted to be with him. The Eden drug was out of her system now, leaving her mind muddled and confused. She hated this feeling.  Helpless and weak. “I am sorry for what I did to you, Tristan. I really am. I could try to explain why I did what I did, but I don’t think you’d understand.”</p><p>Tristan sighed and shook his head. “You’re not listening to what I am saying here…I didn’t ask you for an apology or an explanation, Emmie.”</p><p>Looking over at him from across the room, Ember clutched the blanket tightly. “Then what DO you want from me, Tristan?”</p><p> Taking a step closer to her, Tristan reached into a pocket and withdrew a red silk ribbon. He held it out in his hand, and it unrolled in a dramatic fashion, catching some light breeze and gently moving. Upon seeing it, Ember felt lightheaded and woozy.  Her eyes were suddenly wet with tears. “Do you remember this? You were wearing it when the Shepherd took you away. He was trying to protect you, just like I am doing now.” Moving closer, Tristan stopped near the edge of the bed. Upon his approach, Ember pulled back a little. Tristan looked down at her, his eyes filled with sadness and sorrow. Kneeling next to the bed, Tristan reached up and let his hand rest on the mattress, the red ribbon wrapped around his wrist. “I know it’s been hard on you, being here alone with Burnley, warped and forced into whatever sick and twisted thing that he wants you to be, but what I am offering you is a way out. I was given this, to bring you back to us, to make you remember who you truly were.  You’re scared, I get it, I am too, but I promise that if you just take it, take my hand and let me get you out of here, we can find out who you are truly meant to be, together. I won’t ever leave your side Ember. That summer night, back on Earth at the picnic, I promised you that one day, I was going to marry you, and we would have a big wedding outside, underneath the stars, barefoot with flowers in our hair. We don’t have to give up on that dream, it can still come true. All you must do is take the first step with me. Take my hand and trust me. We can do it together. Don’t be afraid. You don't belong here.”</p><p>Pushing the thick blanket down away from her, Ember swung her legs over the edge of the bed where Tristan was kneeling. The only sound in the room was the loud thumping of her own heart. Without a word, she reached out and plucked the red silk ribbon from his hand. It slipped through his fingers as she touched it, almost as if it had a life of its own. Her eyes focused on his and she gathered up the long strands her red hair and using the silky ribbon, neatly plaited them together, carefully entwining the soft material in with her tresses. Tying it off neatly at the bottom, she turned her head to the side and let the braid fall back behind her. A few small strands came free around her face and still kneeling in front of her, Tristan reached up and brushed them to the side before she could pull away. As his fingertips briefly grazed over her cheek, Ember’s hand shot up and she grabbed his wrist, wrapping her little fingers around it tightly. Pulling it away from her face, she looked down at it, at the hand which only a few hours ago had belonged to the little boy that she had tricked into coming to Prox. Now it belonged to a young man, one whose words put her frenzied mind at ease and made her heart beat in a different way which she had never felt before. Slowly, she pushed his fingers back and gazed at what should have been soft, unmarred satin smooth skin. What she found instead were jagged lines and twisted gashes with drying blood crusted over them in each place where the glass vials of Eden drug had bit into his skin as he shattered each one in his hand. Gingerly, she ran her fingertips over them. The button on the bottom of his sleeve had come open and Ember reached out to push the fabric away, revealing even more deep cuts, running up the length of his arm. They were still warm and felt slightly feverish. “Will they ever heal?” She whispered.</p><p>Gently removing her hand from his arm, Tristan rolled the sleeve of his black shirt back down and placed his hand on top of hers. “I am not so sure. The Shepherd, he’s not like the first time I saw him back on Earth, he’s different, weaker, like a shadow of his former self. He did all that he could to save me, but the power I felt before, it wasn’t there. I think…he’s dying.”</p><p>Ember looked down at Tristan’s hand. The warmth of his skin pressed against hers felt so warm and comforting. It was something completely different from the way she felt when Burnley touched her. Thinking back, Ember realized now that Tristan’s touch was so good and Burnley's felt corrupted, almost vile. “What happens if the Shepherd dies?” She asked quietly, not even wanting to know the answer.</p><p>“I don’t know, Emmie. I don’t even know what he is, but I have a feeling that if he’s not around something really bad is going to happen…not just to us, but to everyone. That’s why we have to get out of here, put as much distance between us and the Shallow Bay as possible.” Rising up, Tristan gently pulled Ember to her feet and patiently waited a moment for her to get her balance. “Are you okay?” He asked. </p><p>“There’s no easy way out of this, is there?” She asked quietly.</p><p>“No there isn’t, but if you feel it in your heart, if you know this is the right thing to do and you can trust me, we can do it. Together. Can you trust me?”</p><p>Ember nodded, still feeling a little unsure of herself. Taking a few steps forward, she stopped. All the color drained out of her face. “Wait, Tristan… we can’t leave yet. Your mother, Lizzie… she’s still in there… with Dustin. She’s trying to save Burnley’s life.” The memory of Aurora opening the door to the infirmary, all the blood and the lifeless hand flopping out onto the floor suddenly came back to her. “Aurora is there too, Tristan we have to get back there, I think someone may be hurt. Oh god, I hope it’s not Lizzie or Aurora!”</p><p>“Unconscious or not, Burnley is dangerous and I am not taking a chance on barging in there without protection. If we’re going to save them, then we’re going to need a weapon.” Tristan let go of Ember’s hand and started searching the room. “Look around for something. I don’t care if it’s a gun or even a sharp butter knife, we NEED a weapon. This is Burnley’s room, there has to be something in here we can use to defend ourselves with.” </p><p>	Springing into action, Ember and Tristan rummaged through the bedroom, digging through desk drawers, pushing aside bookshelves in a desperate effort. After several minutes, Ember paused and looked toward the bed. Noticing her hesitating, Tristan glanced at her, curious. “I remember watching him at night, talking to himself or someone that only he could see. Sometimes he would become really violent and break things.” Slowly she started walking across the room. “I think that the loneliness may have been driving him insane. I wanted to help him, I wanted to be the one that made him forget about whatever demons were plaguing him, but the closer I got to him, the more he became distant.” Ember found herself standing next to the bed again. “One night, when he came back here to go to sleep, I followed him. He was aware that I was behind him, or at least I think he was because he left the door open. His back was turned away and I watched him get undressed. I had never seen a man’s body before, and I was fascinated by it. Even with the scars, he is truly beautiful.”</p><p>	“Ember. There’s no need to remember this now.” Tristan said feeling uncomfortable.</p><p>	Standing on the opposite side of the bed where Tristan had been earlier, Ember stared down at the crumpled-up blankets. “I took off all my clothes and stood there at the doorway for a long time. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. It was so cold... I could hear him breathing. He was watching me as I made my way over to the bed here.” Ember reached down and ran her fingers over the soft mattress.  “The feeling of his eyes on me… was… terrifying, but I wanted to be close to him. I wanted to touch him, and I was willing to accept the risk. I laid down in the bed next to him, curling up at his side, waiting for him to take me. I convinced myself that it would be painful, but like he always had said to me… extreme pain leads to extreme pleasure. I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, waiting. Then I felt his fingers glide over my hip. I could feel the pressure of his arm as it draped over my side and down across my body. This was it. This was the moment when my time as a silly little girl would stop and I would become a woman…his woman. We had the Shallow Bay and Prox all to ourselves. We could be happy here… or so I thought. He leaned into me, and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. I could feel every part of him, so warm and soft. He moved slightly, and I held my breath. I was relieved that he was going to make the first move. His hand fell away from me and went down to the side of the bed. Right here.” Ember pointed to a spot where the mattress met with the frame of the bed. She knelt and stuck her hand between the material. There was a soft hissing sound as she took hold of the hilt of a sword and slowly pulled it out from it’s hiding place. Now it was Tristan’s turn to stare at her wide eyed. “Burnley brought the sword down over my neck. The hard steel was so cold against my skin. He pushed it into my flesh just enough to draw a fine line of blood across my throat. ‘if you ever come into my bed, or this room ever again, I will fucking kill you, child.”   I don’t know which hurt worse, the sword cutting into my neck or his words. I ran out of there, crying and back into my room. Throwing myself onto my bed, I swore that I would find a way to make him love me, no matter what the cost. He took my innocence away that night, but not in a physical way, but mentally. I left my childhood behind that night and made sure that I would devote everything I had to him, so that one day, he would see me as the woman that he had made, and not just a daughter.”</p><p>	While she spoke, Tristan came over to her and took the sword out of her hands. Her eyes followed him. “It will never be that way again.”</p><p>	Ember placed one of her slightly trembling hands on Tristan’s upper arm.  She looked into his eyes and then dropped her gaze down to his lips. Pushing herself forward, she leaned in against him. He did not budge, but stood still, strong and sure as a mountain. One of his hands clutched Burnley’s sword and then the other went around to her back as he drew her into his arms. He lowered his face near to hers and slightly parted his lips, tilting his head and readying a kiss. Only a fraction of a inch away, Ember turned away at the last moment, and let out a gasp, leaving Tristan perplexed. Immediately, he released his hold on her, but she pulled him back in close. “Emmie, what’s wrong?” he asked. </p><p>	Turning back towards him, Ember slightly shook her head. “You don’t see it, do you?” She started shaking, trembling in his arms. </p><p>	“No. See what?” Tristan asked, even more confused.</p><p>	Reaching up, Ember placed a hand alongside of his cheek and turned his head in the direction that she had been looking. “Look closely.” She whispered.</p><p>	Across the room, Tristan found himself staring at the bits of the broken mirror which had not fallen out of the wooden frame from when he had punched it at his own reflection. He was in the clothing he had found stashed away in the closet, a black button-down shirt and black pants with boots, holding the sword. Ember was in his arms now, looking at him, looking at her.  “What is it?”</p><p>	Once again, tears started forming in Ember’s eyes. She held onto Tristan for dear life, refusing to let him go. Tearing her gaze away, she rested her head on his chest. “It’s you, Tristan. You’re becoming the Shepherd.”</p><p>	Dustin stood in the doorway to the surgical wing of the infirmary for a very long time. Ember had left with Tristan some time ago, leaving him alone to watch Lizzie work diligently trying to save Burnley’s life. Despite having more advanced technology than what was available on Earth, she struggled with equipment that was not working properly due to years of neglect and insufficient power supply. Lizzie’s small hands worked furiously trying her best to repair the torn tendons and the nicked artery which was causing Burnley to bleed out. With every drop of blood that slowly trickled off the steel gurney and onto the concrete floor, Dustin felt more confident that the man that he hated dearly wouldn’t survive the operation. He had failed once at trying to kill the bastard who had raped him, and he was certain that he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him by again. </p><p>	In the room beyond, Lizzie moved around the small gurney, moving the harsh overhead light, trying to get a better angle on the wound, totally oblivious to Dustin lurking on the other side of the wall. She knew that her child, Tristan was in danger, threatened by Ember, but the more she became distracted with his safety, the more mistakes that she made. Her mind frazzled, Lizzie would be satisfied that she had stopped the bleeding, and then at the last moment before she closed the wound, the sloppy sutures would pop open and she would have to begin the process all over again. Deciding the best thing to do would be to forget about all the distractions, she began again, knowing that her patient only had the minimum amount of blood left in his body to survive another attempt, anything after that would be hopeless. As she worked, she kept a watchful eye on the rising and falling of Burnley’s chest. There were no heart monitors, no EKG’s, and no anesthetic available, and so many things could go wrong. She was working on adrenaline alone. </p><p>	Her fingers wet with blood and aching from tying sutures over and over, Lizzie moved around to the opposite side of the gurney, unbeknownst to her, blocking Dustin’s view. Knowing that each moment was precious, she stopped anyway and looked down at the man who lay before her. She knew nothing of him, or his daughter, except for the fact that she had become mixed up in something that she didn’t want to be a part of, and it all had something to do with her husbands death and her father in law’s work. Even though she was on a different planet, a long way from Earth, it didn’t seem so bizarre to her. Somehow, the moment she stepped through the portal which the everything machine had created, she felt like she had been there before, and it almost felt like home to her. Of course, she knew that it couldn’t be possible at all, but when she looked up into the sky, it felt strangely familiar and the sound of the sands blowing through the desert brought her comfort in some odd way. Sighing to herself, she spoke quietly to the man, whose eyes remained closed tightly. She wondered if those words were falling on deaf ears, simply because there was a chance that the man might never wake up. </p><p>	Frowning, Dustin moved to the right, trying to look around Lizzie through the window, then to the left, but he couldn’t see past her. He needed to know what was going on. He then made a conscious decision to intervene and not let fate take it’s course. There was just too much to risk if he lived. </p><p>	The sound of the door opening made Lizzie jump, and the scalpel she had in her hand dropped down to the floor, where it clattered loudly and came to rest in a puddle of blood. Wiping the sweat away from her forehead with her forearm, she stared down the man that had just entered and stood protectively over her patient. “Who are you? Never mind, I don’t care, you need to get the hell out of her, this is a sterile environment.”</p><p>	Stepping forward, Dustin bent down and picked up the surgical instrument and wiped it on his shirt sleeve. “I hardly think that this is the most ideal place for a aortic repair, Lizzie.” </p><p>	Holding her hand out, waiting for the man to return the scalpel, Lizzie shot him a extremely irritated look. “So, you know who I am, and I don’t know who you are, good for you asshole. If you are as smart as you are pretending to be, then you can easily see that I am performing a surgery here, which means you need to get the fuck out so I can finish and save this man’s life.” She wiggled her fingers, motioning for the scalpel again. </p><p>	Dustin walked around to the opposite side of the gurney, not even attempting to avoid the puddles of blood on the floor and choosing to walk through them instead. His feet left behind red footprints as he leaned in and looked down at Burnley. “If you knew what this man did, to you Lizzie, you wouldn’t be so keen on saving him.”</p><p>	Rolling her eyes, Lizzie held out her hand over Burnley’s body silently requesting the scalpel from Dustin again. “I don’t know him; I don’t know you. He’s a human being, and I took a vow to respect all life, no matter what the person did in the past. You’re being a rude prick right now, and if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, I’d still do my best to save your life, because that’s how I am.”</p><p>	Turning the scalpel around in his hand to get a better grip on it, Dustin smiled at her. “Enjoy your blissful ignorance while you can. The Shepherd is gone, so it won’t last much longer. It might take some time, but your memories of him, of this place, of Prox… everything will come back to you. If you’re lucky they will return as vague emotions, a little at a time, fleeting feelings that you can sift through and pick out the good ones, and discard the rest. There is a chance, however that they can all come flooding back at once, fill your brain with such a rapid influx that you won’t be able to take it. The outcome for that scenario would be either you go utterly mad and end up a babbling idiot, or slam your head into the wall over and over until the phantom pain goes away.”</p><p>	“Get out!” Lizzie shouted. Her voice echoed heavily over the thick walls.</p><p>	“Okay, so you don’t want to hear what he’s done to you. Fine, I can accept that. I will be honest with you Lizzie. I want this man dead. I was hoping that nature would run it’s course, but I see that isn’t the way, so I am taking matters into my own hands.” Dustin held the scalpel out over Burnley. The sharp, silver edge glistened in the bright light. “You’re not going to stop me.”</p><p>	“Like hell I won’t.” Lizzie scowled at him. “I've got too much riding on this.”</p><p>	Dustin shrugged. “Look behind you, into the waiting room. Ember is gone, and she took Tristan with her. Didn’t she promise you that he would be right there waiting for you when the surgery was done? Wasn’t he supposed to be safe if Burnley lived? ” </p><p>Lizzie turned around and not seeing her son, began to panic. “Where are they? What have you done with them?” She snapped viciously.</p><p>“Absolutely nothing. Ember mumbled something about ‘putting things right’ and took off down the hall with your son. It was only a short time ago, if you left now, you might still be able to catch up with them. There’s no telling where she’s taking him or what she’s going to do with him.” Lizzie looked back down to Burnley, her eyes fixed on his chest. “Walk away Lizzie. Don’t even look back at him. Let me do what I have to do, what I came here to do. Your conscience will be clear, I assure you, and when you do remember what he’s done, you will be able to sleep soundly at night, knowing that he has paid for his sins, but you weren’t the one to carry out the punishment. You are a mother, not a doctor. Go be with your son before he’s gone forever.”</p><p>“Fuck.” Lizzie shouted and made her way to the door. Her hand had just taken hold of the handle, when she saw Dustin put one hand on Burnley’s forehead, and force his head back, exposing his vulnerable throat. In his other hand, he gripped the scalpel as he stared down at his helpless victim. She wanted to stop Dustin, but there was nothing more she could do for Burnley, and her son was her priority now. As Dustin brought the blade down to the side of Burnley’s throat, Lizzie turned away and pulled on the door handle. She didn’t want to see any of what was about to happen. It wasn't her business. Much to her surprise, the door wouldn’t open. She yanked on it again and again, using the full force of her weight against it. She looked over at Dustin who shrugged again.</p><p>	“It’s bio-metrically locked. My work with New West wasn’t taken seriously, however, my ability to program and hack electronic door locks has been greatly appreciated. The only way to get it open is with my hand print. No one is leaving this room unless I want them to. Sorry, I gave you a chance to leave.”</p><p>	Lizzie pushed some strands of hair away from her face. “Why? Why the hell would you lock us in here?”</p><p>	“Because I want him DEAD, and there’s no way that I am leaving until I know that he has taken his last breath.” Dustin fumed. </p><p>	Letting go of the door, Lizzie looked at him in utter disgust. “You’re a lunatic. I don’t care what issues that you have with that man on the table there, but there’s no reason to lock me in as well. My son is out there, and I need to go to him. Now, open this fucking door right now!”</p><p>	Clutching the scalpel in his hand, Dustin looked down to Burnley, ignoring Lizzie’s pleas. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very long time, Burnley. I never did anything against you, you only had issues with Ben and yet you used me to get to him…you used a lot of people in your ridiculous obsession with him and the Shepherd of the Damned. Well, now it’s time for justice. I am going to take pleasure in slitting your throat and letting you bleed out, just as you have taken pleasure from every single person that you forced yourself on, including me and Lizzie.”</p><p>	Across the room, Lizzie blinked and took a step away. A chill ran down her spine. “What did you say?”</p><p>	Dustin smiled. “Nothing. Forget it, you’re better off not knowing.”</p><p>	Rushing over, Lizzie came face to face with Dustin, standing only a few inches away. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “You mentioned my name, now tell me what you just said.”</p><p>	Distracted by Lizzie’s unexpected confrontation, Dustin lowered the scalpel, and attempted to push the woman away from him, but his efforts were cut short, when suddenly he felt an incredible pressure crushing his wrist. Glancing down, he found that he was now looking right into Burnley’s mesmerizing amber colored eyes. He was fully conscious and had taken hold of the hand which Dustin was holding the scalpel in, squeezing it so tightly that his fingers started to turn purplish blue right away. The scalpel slipped from his grip and clattered loudly down onto the floor. “Back for more, Bates?” Burnley said, as he slowly sat up, squeezing Dustin’s wrist tighter. Lizzie stepped back, moving away from the men, as Dustin let out a anguished cry of pain. There were audible sounds of bones shifting. Trying to wiggle his arm free, Dustin could do nothing but drop down to the floor, his eyes filled with tears. Sitting on the edge of the gurney, Burnley smiled down at Dustin. “That’s right, get on your  knees at  my feet where you truly belong.” </p><p>	“Fuck you!” Dustin said, through clenched teeth. Burnley let go of his wrist, and Dustin crouched down, holding his wrist against his stomach, gently rubbing it. “I should have killed you right away.” His eyes went to the scalpel only a few feet away lying on the floor close to him.</p><p>	Burnley stood up immediately kicked the blade away. “I saved your miserable life, and this is how you repay me? Such a shame, really. Are you so bitter and misguided because the beloved Shepherd didn’t give you the life that you wanted hmm? Is that it? Everyone thought that in the end of the story, you were going to be the hero, the good guy who gets the happy ending and lives happily ever after, but they were wrong. The good Shepherd punished us both, Bates. He refused to grant me the peace I so desperately wanted and kept me alive to suffer, but at least I had the darkness to comfort me, but you… you… he made a laughingstock. It’s quite funny, really. Your ‘Benjamin’ sacrificed himself to become the Shepherd, leaving you forever, and also took Brock away from you, leaving you alone and miserable. No wonder why you grew so cold hearted, you have nothing else in your life but remorse and regret.” Walking around behind Dustin, Burnley’s  feet tapped loudly on the concrete floor as he came to stand directly behind him. Wearing nothing but a pair of leather pants; the smell of dried and fresh blood wafted in the air around him, filling the room with its distinct aroma. “No, Bates. You won’t kill me, simply because you can’t. I am all that you have left.” </p><p>	“Fuck you!” Dustin shouted. His hands were clenched in tight fists of rage. He knew that he had to do something now, while Burnley was still weakened from the surgery. If he was left to regain his full strength, there would be no way that he could win in a fight. It had to be now. He glanced over at Lizzie, who had retreated back over to the corner by the door, keeping her distance. He tried to motion to her, to get her to kick the discarded scalpel back over to him, but she refused to move. Cursing under his breath, Dustin decided to act. Slowly rising to his feet, with Burnley still standing behind him, he summoned every bit of courage he had and swung his elbow backwards at full force, jamming it into the soft part of Burnley’s torso. The blow hit home and Burnley doubled over as the air was knocked out of him momentarily. Surprised that he actually managed to land a hit, Dustin struck again, this time throwing a punch into Burnley’s face. As his knuckles connected with his jaw, Dustin felt a satisfying sense of triumph as a brief spray of blood erupted from Burnley’s lips. “That’s right you sick bastard, now you know how it feels to be beaten down and stomped on!” Pulling his arm back, he prepared to strike again, when suddenly Lizzie ran across the room and pushed Burnley out of the way. Dustin stayed his hand and looked at her in shock. “Are you mad? What are you doing?”</p><p>	“You’re the sick bastard here, Dustin.” Lizzie growled. </p><p>	Dustin stepped forward, getting right into Lizzie’s face.  “You really want to know what I said earlier, what he did to you?” He pointed to over where Burnley was half standing, half hunched over near the gurney. “I’ll tell you. He raped you. He found you wounded, near death but still alive in the F.E.C. base, and took you away. He strapped you to a bed, and fucked you. It wasn’t anything romantic or gentle either. Burnley isn’t like that. He used you just like he used the rest of us. Poking and prodding every part of you that he could, and then when he was finished with your body, he turned you into a Carnivore, a terrible creature that lives only to fulfill the whim of it’s master and feast on human flesh.” Dustin could see the look of horror in Lizzie’s eyes. “And before you say another word, I want you to stop and think about it… think about your family on Earth. Other than your husband and son, where is the rest of your family? Where are you from? What do you remember from your childhood? Nothing, right? That’s because there isn’t any! The Shepherd took away the memories of all that happened to you here on Prox because he thought he was being merciful. Lizzie, do you really feel sorry for the man that stole your innocence? Can you even bare the thought of letting him go when you now know what he’s done?”</p><p>	Lizzie put one hand to the side of her head. “I don't remember anything, and I don't believe you. You're just making stuff up now.” She shook her head. “Even if he did those things, and you want revenge, that’s not a reason to go murder him in cold blood. It will make you just as much of a monster as he is.  I want you to go over there and open that fucking door so that the three of us can get the hell out of here.”</p><p>	“I can’t do that.” Dustin said smugly. “That door isn’t going to open until he’s dead.”</p><p>	“Dustin….” Lizzie sighed. She glanced over Dustin’s shoulder and at that moment, saw Burnley coming up behind him. “DUSTIN!” </p><p>	Unseen, Burnley stretched his arm up and grabbed a handful of Dustin’s thick hair, using it to forcefully yank his head back in one quick fluid motion. Dustin let out a yelp and reached up, trying to free himself. Leading him from behind, Burnley brought his body over to the steel gurney in the center of the room and pushed the blood soaked sheets off it, exposing a corner of  the shiny silver metal with gleamed dully in the harsh overhead light. Burnley snickered to himself as he wheeled Dustin’s head backwards. His eyes blinked and squinted as he tried to look away from the glaring light.  “You’re such a coward Dustin, you don’t have the balls to kill me…and you never will, because I am onto you, I know your little secret.” Leaning in, Burnley brought his lips to the side of Dustin’s neck and pressed them onto the soft flesh. A involuntary sudden shock shot down his spine and he let out a quiet moan. Burnley smiled and opened his mouth, letting his teeth graze along a pulsing blue vein in Dustin’s neck. “It’s not Benjamin, or Brock that you are in love with, it’s me… that’s your little secret, one that you are so ashamed of, that you would be willing to kill to protect it… you want me.” </p><p>Burnley’s breath was hot on his flesh, and for a moment, Dustin was completely paralyzed by a mixture of fear and excitement. “Yeah I want you alright Burnley. I want you dead.”</p><p>“Necrophilia is it then?” Pulling tightly on the lump of his hair entwined in his hand, Burnley gave Dustin’s head another forceful yank, and reached around to the front of his pants. His slender, yet strong fingers slipped underneath the waistband of Dustin’s pants and dipped down into the folds of fabric. “I prefer something a little more alive, with blood pumping through it, hard and erect.” With a vice like grip, he grabbed hold of Dustin’s balls and squeezed them tightly. Dustin let out a loud scream. “Stop screaming or else I will rip them off right now.” Burnley sneered. </p><p>Lizzie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Stop it! Just please stop it.”</p><p>Not even bothering to look at her, Burnley parted his lips and licked Dustin’s neck. His fingers wiggled inside of Dustin’s pants.  “Stay out of this, it doesn’t concern you.”</p><p>“I want out of here right now! I don’t even care about the two of you anymore. I want that door open so I can go find my son! You’re ‘daughter’ took him away. She promised me that she would stay out there where I could see her, with him in sight until I saved your life. I fulfilled my part of the bargain, but she took off when I wasn’t looking. Please… I want to go.” Lizzie begged.</p><p>Irritated, Burnley stood behind Dustin and released his grip. Dustin let out a sigh which quickly turned into a gasp of shock. Burnley took one step back, and with his grip on Dustin’s hair, flung his head straight out and downward to the exposed metal of the steel gurney. His skull collided with a loud thump, and then he yanked him back and slammed him back down again, this time harder. The edge of the metal bed sliced into Dustin’s scalp, cutting a horizontal line into his flesh just below the hair line. Splatters of fresh blood now mixed with the dry stains which covered the walls and floor of the operating room. Burnley turned to look directly at Lizzie, as he crashed Dustin’s head into the bed a third time, and felt his body go limp and lifeless. Satiated for the moment, he let go of his body and stepped over it nonchalantly as it crumpled down onto the floor. </p><p>As Burnley made his way over to Lizzie, she bent down and snatched the scalpel from where it had skidded to a stop earlier when Dustin had dropped it. She held it up in front of her. “Stay away from me!”</p><p>“It's a funny thing, actually.... how easily people can be led, manipulated. Including you, Lizzie.” Burnley brushed the hair away from his face. “The Shepherd of the Damned, he made you forget all about your previous life. He tried to use his powers and gloss everything over, make it appear that it ever happened, but if you ask me, he did more harm than good. People need to remember things, to remember feelings and deal with them so that they can move on and grow from the experiences. Dustin here, he seems to remember everything, although I honestly cannot say why. I suspect it’s because he harbors a deep hate inside of him that he can’t let go of… but it’s alright, I will free him of that, but first you and I need to have a quick chat.”</p><p>Feeling her heart racing in her chest, Lizzie could do nothing more than retreat back towards the door and keep hold of her weapon. “I have nothing to say to you. I don’t remember anything about Prox, and I don’t want to. I saved your life, and all I want is out of this room.”</p><p>“Fair enough.” Burnley moved closer. The dried blood on his chest and crude stitches matched well with the fresh droplets from Dustin which were now running down his cheeks, giving him a horrible, slightly disheveled appearance. “Forget about the past then. What if I were to tell you that Bates over there was the one responsible for the murder of your husband, Thomas?”</p><p>Lizzie started to shake. She remembered walking into the lab and seeing the blood, Thomas’s blood splashed all over the floors, the walls. She remained silent.</p><p>“Tristan Bell, Sr, your father in law was working with Dustin Bates. Dustin had brought him the coordinates to Prox, and wanted to return here for his own selfish reasons, but he did not have the funds or equipment available for an expedition. Quite by accident, he met Dr. Bell and together, they were working on a machine that could open the portal between worlds. The endeavor was taking far too long for Dustin’s liking, so he stole the files with all the research in pertaining to Prox and gave them to New West, who immediately started working on devising a way to reach the planet via airship. What Dustin didn’t know is that Dr. Bell left out crucial information that was needed to make the journey. He kept it from Dustin on purpose, knowing that he was untrustworthy. Dustin had planned on going back to retrieve it, but sadly Dr. Bell passed away without warning and the lab was sealed up. He would have to bide his time and wait.” Burnley looked back over at his shoulder at Dustin, who was moving slightly and making gurgling noises. “Sometime later, he broke into the lab, a retrieved the last set of documents that he  needed to turn over to New West. Your husband, Thomas was in the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbled upon the theft. In a panic, Dustin shot and killed Thomas and left him for dead to bleed out on the floor of that lab, while he ran away like a thief in the night.”</p><p>Lowering the scalpel, Lizzie stared at the miserable lump that was Dustin Bates which lie on the floor in front of her. Somehow, she new that Burnley was telling the truth. A tear welled up in the corner of her eye. “What am I supposed to do now? Am I supposted to ignore this and turn away? He took everything that mattered away from me.”</p><p>Slowly reaching forward, Burnley took the scalpel out of Lizzie’s hands. She looked up at him through red rimmed eyes. He moved closer still. “Not everything. Your son, he is still here. If Ember promised you that she would care for him, then she will.” </p><p> Burnley closed in the distance between him and the trembling Lizzie, and stretched out one arm, resting the palm of his hand on the wall behind her. He was so close to her that she could see the slight red inflammation of the stitches in his chest which she had used to close up his wound, and hear the breath rattling in his lungs. A fleeting memory rushed through her mind, the feeling of her wrists and ankles being held down with leather cuffs, the rhythmic sound of machines whirling loudly around her, and the most vivid memory of them all, someone on top of her, spreading her numb legs apart and then screaming. “Don’t…. touch…. Me….” She whimpered.</p><p>“What did you choose?” Burnley asked curiously. “When the Shepherd asked you to save child or your husband, which did you choose?”</p><p>“How did you know about that?” She asked. Time stopped for Lizzie. Everything halted. The world stood still. She looked at Burnley, into the face of the man who had just nearly died on the table in front of her. He was asking her a question that he couldn’t possibly have known was even asked. He was luring her in, drawing her close to him both in body and mind, she wanted to run, escape from this awful predator, but there was no where to go. She was trapped. She would have to play his game a little bit longer. “I… I… chose…” her voice trailed off. She felt defeated. What was he doing to her?</p><p>“No need for anymore words. Your eyes have whispered the answer to me.” Leaning in upon his outstretched arm, Burnley reached out and gently cradled the side of Lizzie’s head in the palm of his hand.  His fingers were sharp and skeletal.  Burning with a white hot coldness. “You saved my life.  So for the moment, I shall spare yours, Lizzie Bell.” Her blue eyes locked onto his amber iridescent eyes and she felt something unusual… a connection. She started to feel incredibly tired and exhausted.  She searched him for clarity, or an answer to why she was feeling this way. She felt a ache in her heart, as if something she loved had been suddenly taken away. </p><p>“There were two… two children? Twins.” She murmured. Her eyes were heavy. “One was Thomas’s son… the other….”</p><p>“The Shepherd took him away; he is lost forever.” Burnley purred. He ran his fingers lightly over her cheek. “Sleep now, there's no need for you to witness what is about to happen.” Forcing her head to tilt upwards, Burnley leaned down slightly and kissed her deeply. He grabbed her upper arms as she started to drift away into an oddly gentle slumber.  His fingers pressed into her skin as he eased her unconscious form down onto the floor, just a few feet away from the locked door which she so desperately wanted to escape from. As he released her, bright blue marks started to pop up on her pale flesh, proof that the morning would bring deep plum bruises if she manged to live through it. </p><p>Dustin had finally regained consciousness and was partially sitting up with his back propped up against the wheels of the gurney, his face dripping with blood from the deep laceration across his forehead. “Why do you do that to people, fuck with their heads like that and manipulate them? I know you did it to me because you wanted to get back at your father and tick him off, but why her? Why Lizzie who hasn’t done anything to you?”</p><p>Burnley slowly turned around.  His expressionless face leered down at Dustin. “I like pushing people, I enjoy seeing them scramble and fuss with their emotions when confronted with the truth about themselves. Desperate times bring out either the best or worst in people and they show their true colors. You, yourself should know this as a fact, considering all that you have done in the past.  Someone who you previously thought was a good person, a saint who would do anything for someone could in fact be the most selfish, hate filled bastard when pushed to the edge. It's a sick facade. The evidence is all around you, all you have to do is open your eyes to see it. It’s all a matter of knowing a person's breaking point, aiming for it and waiting until their true self comes seeping out. I find it wildly amusing and entertaining.”</p><p>“So basically what you are saying is that you like fucking with people.”  Dustin snorted and shook his head in disgust. “Is that what you are going to do to me? Fuck with  my head until I crack and then sit back and enjoy the show?”</p><p>A wild smile danced over Burnley's lips. “Hmmm...No Dustin, I am just going to fuck you.”</p><p>	Dustin remained on the floor, holding his ground while Burnley casually walked over. “You haven't changed, have you? You're still the monster that you once were before anything changed. You whine about the Shepherd giving everyone a new life and keeping you here, trapped in oblivion for eternity, claiming that he was punishing you for things that were out of your control, when the truth is that no matter what happens, Burnley, you can't change. Whatever life you choose to live will always be filled with violence, hate and atrocity. It's in your blood, you can't escape it. Ben was right to leave you here to rot, because there's nothing for you here, not on Prox, not on Earth... not any where. You are a sick dog that needs to be chained up, shackled for an eternity.”</p><p>	Burnley crouched down in front of Dustin. The smell of blood was thick in the air. “Such fierce words, Dustin. I am actually sort of shocked at your attempt at defiance. It's exhilarating.” Reaching out, Burnley gently touched the gaping wound across Dustin's forehead, drawing his fingers over the fresh blood and staining his fingertips bright red. “But that's all they are, Dustin, words. You are lashing out, trying desperately to cover up your true nature, the real motive that brought you to me.”  With a firm touch, Burnley drew his stained fingertips down the side of Dustin's face. Dustin flinched, but did not pull away. </p><p>	“I told you, you sick bastard, I came here to kill you.” Dustin's snarled. “That's all I want.”</p><p>	There was a sound of Burnley's leather pants creaking as he moved in closer, positioning his face directly in front of Dustin's. “No, you didn't.” Burnley stared intently into Dustin's eyes. “You came here because you are in love with me. You can try to deny it to yourself a thousand times over, but the simple truth in the matter is that after our last encounter, I told you that I would never be a memory. I am inside your head now, nestled safe and sound between your desires and dreams. Admit it or not, the moment that I held you in my arms, you lost something of yourself. I gave you more than pain that day. I gave you a world of ecstasy, brought you to the heights of pleasure and let you soar in the throes of wanton desire. I took away all the barriers of self control that you had and let you experience something that few others will ever achieve, a lust so pure that it burns white hot and completely consumed you.” Burnley's eyes dropped down to Dustin's slightly parted lips. “This is why you come to me now. Your soul calls out to me, begs me for that same sweet release that you once had so long ago.”</p><p>	“You didn't give me shit, Burnley!” Dustin's jaw was quivering slightly as he spoke. He felt Burnley slowly lowering his body over his. Even though he was of slender build, the weight and pressure was almost too much to bear. Every inch of his skin was on fire; he could feel the sweat oozing out of every pore in his body, soaking into his clothing making it stick to his flesh. “You took away the one thing that I truly loved, and for that I hate you.”</p><p>	Burnley's lips were almost touching Dustin's now. “And what was that again? The one thing that you loved? Brock? Oh no no no, you weren't in love with him. You couldn't be, because you threw him away like garbage. He may have loved you implicitly, but you could never really be with him, not with Benjamin around.” Burnley eased himself down onto Dustin, perched precariously on his hips, balancing perfectly. He slipped one arm up behind Dustin's back forcing him into a semi reclining position, while the other pushed the front of his shirt open, exposing his chest. “He is lost to you now, Dustin. You can never have him back, because you don't love him anymore.”</p><p>	“You don't know what I feel for him! I still...” Dustin stopped. He felt a heaviness in his heart and tears started to well up in his eyes. “Oh my god...”</p><p>	“There you go.” Burnley cooed. “Now you understand.” He rested his fingers on the center of Dustin's chest. “He's not there anymore. He hasn't been for a long time. All the love you had for Benjamin is gone, vanished like the fog off a mountain in the morning. Even if he walked through the door right now and stood in front of you, you wouldn't ever feel the same as you did before.” Burnley's lips hovered over Dustin's for a moment, his eyes looked up to see the despair and then he kissed him, slowly and delicately. </p><p>	“I don't want this.” Trying to break off the kiss, Dustin found that the soft, unusually gentle touch comforted him. It blocked out the pounding pain in his head, and sent a static wave of electricity down his spine. He managed to pull slightly away, but remained close enough for his lips to slightly touch Burnley's as he spoke. “I loved him. I did. I really did. I don't understand...you can't suddenly stop loving someone. Where did it go? Where did all those feelings go? Why can't I feel him as I did before?”</p><p>	“What you feel for him will never be the same. You said that the Shepherd didn't give you a new life like he did the others... but that's where you are wrong. His gift to you was to release you from everything that bound the two of you together. Love, death, life, taken away so that you can start over. As I have said, Benjamin isn't what your heart wants now. He was just someone that you loved.”</p><p>	Swallowing the lump that was growing in his throat, Dustin leaned his head back to look up into the harsh overhead lighting. It was blissfully blinding. A tear slid out of the corner of his eye. “Ben numbed all my pain, when it hurt so bad but I could always fall into his arms and he would take all of it away. Now I know how it feels. I feel so cold inside.” Dustin paused. “Is this what Brock felt? This terrible emptiness?” He whispered. </p><p>	“Benjamin isn't the only one who can take your pain away, Dustin.” Burnley's fingers grabbed hold of Dustin's shirt and pushed it down, away from his body. He drew his lips away from Dustin's and kissed the stray tear away from his cheek and slowly moved down to his jaw line, placing a tight line of sensuous kisses there, before moving around to the front of his throat. “I've told you already, the only thing stopping you from getting it is you, yourself.” The strength of Burnley's arms wrapped tightly around Dustin's torso was excruciatingly tight. He was trapped, both emotionally and physically. Burnley's breath was hot on his neck. “Say it Dustin, tell me what you want. Don't allow yourself to deny it any longer. This is the release you've wanted for so long. Brock could never give it to you, he was so innocent and pure, uncorruptable. Benjamin wouldn't give it to you, because he lost his soul when the Shepherd took over and was never complete. Now you have the chance here, Dustin Bates to give in, relinquish everything that is holding you back in this life and experience true ecstasy once more. All you have to do is say it. Tell me what you need.”</p><p>	Closing his eyes for a moment, Dustin suddenly remembered a night in a hotel from ages ago. It was the night that he met Ben. It was Starset's debut performance and Dustin was incredibly nervous. Ben had come into his room to wish him well and give him some encouragement. Somehow, things happened and the next thing Dustin knew, he was in Ben's arms, much like he was with Burnley now. Dustin wanted nothing more than to get closer to Ben, he was infatuated with him and was desperate to feel the touch of that man's skin on his, taking away all his fright and nervousness, but Ben kept pushing him away, and at the same time, leading him on, coaxing him, asking the same question over and over. 'Do you really want this? Tell me that you want it Dustin, and it can be yours. Are you willing to give in and accept your fate? Say the words.' That night, with a simple 'yes' Dustin had surrendered his mortal soul to the Shepherd, and sealed the fate of both of them. Now here he was again, but this time with the son of the man that he loved, the man who had raped and beaten him in the past, and destroyed his life. Burnley was a psychotic bastard, that was a fact that Dustin couldn't deny, but he was also terribly smart and clever. He had a gift to see things in people that no one else could. He saw the truth. Dustin opened his eyes, hoping that this was nothing more than a nightmare that he could awaken from, but he was still there on Prox, locked in the medical wing with Lizzie Bell unconscious on the floor near the door, and a predator on top of him. Burnley was right. He no longer felt the same way towards Benjamin. He didn't love him anymore. All that was there before was gone now, replaced by a gaping, empty hole of nothingness which hurt like hell. He needed to fill it, to take away the pain that he felt. Looking down to Burnley, at the beautiful, blood covered man on top of him, he knew at that moment what he wanted, both in body and spirit. The Shepherd changed everyone, some in ways that were painfully obvious, others in more subtle and hidden. Benjamin had taken away the need that Dustin had for him in his heart, thus freeing him to move on, as Burnley said, but he blinded by his own obsession with Burnley to see it. Only now did he realized that it wasn't hatred that Dustin was feeling for Ben's son, but maybe perhaps as he had said, it was a need to feel again and be loved. Burnley had a family now, a daughter. Everyone was moving on, changing, and now it was his turn. </p><p>	Dustin slowly unclenched his hands at his sides, letting the blood flow back into his knuckles. His body relaxed and he reached up, placing his hands on the sides of Burnley's cheeks. “For a long time after what happened, I couldn't stop thinking of you. You were a part of my daily thoughts, I couldn't concentrate on anything, all I kept feeling was your touch, your hands all over my body...you inside of me. At night when I went to bed, I would lie there for hours, remembering how it felt when you took control of me, your body thrusting against mine. The pain... it hurt so bad, but at the same time, it felt good, because I had nothing to hide. You stripped me down to raw nerves and pushed me past fear into something even better, a place where you can just let go. I hated you for it, but at the same time... I loved you.” Taking a deep breath, Dustin pulled Burnley's face close to his and kissed him passionately. He slipped one hand down in the space between their bodies, and rubbed Burnley's cock. He felt tight and strained against the leather pants that he was wearing.  Every muscle was hard as a rock and unforgiving. It was exquisite. “It's you that I need, that I want. I am not afraid of you anymore, Burnley. I trust you... I want you.”</p><p>	Burnley placed his hands over Dustin's shoulders, kissing Dustin back. His hips shifted and rocked against Dustin's pelvis, as he deepened the kiss, completely taking Dustin's breath away. With a shaking hand, Dustin flicked the top button of Burnley's pants open. Burnley broke off the kiss and let out a long, moan of delight. Dustin smiled, and before he knew it, Burnley was back at his lips again. He was completely delighted that the man who had completely taken control of him before was now allowing himself to be controlled. It was unusual, but Dustin didn't care. He wanted this man more than anything, and was going to make sure that he would feel exactly the same way as he did once before, no matter the cost. Burnley was in mid-kiss of Dustin's lips when he suddenly shifted, and his sharp teeth caught the edge of his lips. Dustin let out a light cry, slightly startled, but not completely shocked at Burnley's roughness. Digging his nails into Dustin's soft shoulders, Burnley chuckled and snapped his teeth down, hard, onto Dustin's lower lip. There was a audible popping sound and then a stream of blood began to flow out of the corner of his mouth. Burnley gnashed and gnawed at Dustin's lip, lapping at the crimson trickle of blood pouring out of the wound at he had made. Underneath him, Dustin cringed, but tried his best to ignore the pain. His fingers started to unzip the front of Burnley's pants, when Burnley shot back, his teeth still clamped down on Dustin's lip pulling slightly and ripping a good portion of the flesh off. Dustin screamed loudly, and put his hand over the wound, then looked to Burnley, who grinned widely, then spat out a large chunk of Dustin's lip. </p><p>	“What the hell? That hurt Burnley.” Dustin said, his mouth oozing with a mixture of saliva, froth and blood. “I know I said that I want this, but... this.. is wrong. Can you ease off the hard core stuff? I don't know if I can handle it. Let me just... love you... the 'normal' way.”</p><p>	A burst of insane, maniacal laughter erupted from Burnley. “Let me love you?  Ha ha ha ha ha ha, oh Bates, you are the textbook definition of pathetic right now. Did you honestly think that we were going to have a little romantic tryst right here on the floor complete with wine and cheese? Shall I break out the gingham tablecloth and summon the violinist?” Burnley said in a mocking tone. He continued laughing at Dustin for several minutes, until finally he had enough. Then suddenly as quickly as they came, all traces of humor left his face and he became deadly serious. “You're so gullible... Dustin, I don't give a shit about you or your feelings and emotions. I flat out told you earlier what my plans were and still you chose to let yourself believe everything I was saying and fall right into my arms. Once again, I have successfully coerced you into throwing away your morals and rejecting all that you know all for the sake of some carnal pleasure. You even denounced Benjamin, and that makes me so delighted! It's really been fun fucking with you.” Leaning in Burnley snarled.“I grow tired. The game is over. You said  that you're not afraid of me hmmm? Were those your exact words? Well, you should fear me Bates. Because right now I am going to fucking kill you.”</p><p>	Before Dustin could react, Burnley clamped his hands around Dustin's throat and with great momentum and force, thrust his head back into the steel wheel of the gurney. There was a loud thwack and Dustin immediately went down. Burnley was on his feet in an instant, wiping the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand and flicking it onto the floor. “You are such a little shit, Bates. Did you actually think that I was going to let you live for what you had done to me? You're so pathetic. You fell right into my trap, back in my arms again. How pathetic.” Reaching down, Burnley grabbed hold of the waistband of Dustin's pants and gave it a pull, ripping the material in several places. On the floor, Dustin groaned. Taking a deep breath, Burnley paused to run his fingers through his hair, and look around the room. “What I am about to do should bring back a lot of memories for you. I do hope that you take a moment to enjoy them, because this time, after I am done fucking you, I am going to kill you. I have had enough of your lying, whining and arrogance. You are useless to me.” Taking hold of Dustin's pants, Burnley gave them a quick yank and pulled them off, leaving him groaning and naked on the cold floor. “Get up, Bates. Burnley commanded. Dustin merely rolled over to his side and whimpered. “I said get up!” </p><p>	Curled up in a ball, Dustin refused to move. “You can do whatever you want to me, Burnley, but you can't kill me. The Shepherd may have taken away my love for him, but he still loves me, and he's out there, waiting for me. I know it. When he finds out what you are doing, he will burst through those doors and punish you once and for all, for being a petulant child.”</p><p>	Above him, Burnley began to laugh. “The Shepherd? The Shepherd? He doesn't exist anymore. And I know this for a fact, because I was the one who went to Earth and touched his cold, dead body. I watched the flames consume his mortal shell and turn him into nothing more than a pile of ash, just as you would have done to me. The Shepherd is dead, Bates, and you will join him. I am going to be the one to write the ending of this story and it's going to be written the way I want it to!” Pulling on Dustin's arm, Burnley forced him to his feet. Dazed from the blow to the back of the head, Dustin tried to take a swing at Burnley, but the momentum of the missed punch only managed to knock him off balance, and he fell into Burnley's arms who then pushed him onto the side of the damp gurney. Dustin's body hit the mattress with a loud squish, and he was immediately covered with coagulating blood. He tried to push himself up with his hands and arms, but after he got an inch or two up, Burnley gave him a rough shove and forced him back down. It was a losing battle. “The worst part about all of this, is that I am not even going to enjoy fucking you again Bates. You're such a little pussy. All that screaming and moaning.” Standing behind him, Burnley grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head up slightly. “But I know you enjoyed it, especially when you came. How wonderful did it feel when you started to cum, and felt that warmth spurt out all over your legs and thighs?” Sliding his hand down between Dustin's legs, Burnley flicked his wrist slightly and Dustin felt the cool touch of the scalpel which he had dropped earlier pressing against his cock.</p><p>	“No.” Dustin whimpered. “For the love of god, no.”</p><p>	Bending over Dustin's back, Burnley brought his head close to Dustin's. “What was that? Did you say something? You wanted pain, right? Well space-boy, this is how you get it.” Pressing the tip of the blade into the supple flesh of Dustin's penis, Burnley sneered as Dustin twitched beneath him and let out a muffled cry. “Have you changed your mind now? Do you still want it, or is this enough?”</p><p>	“Stop it. Just stop it.” </p><p>	“Let's make things interesting. I am going to fuck the hell out of you... and why you ask? Well the answer is simple. I despise you, Bates. You think that you deserve the world handed to you on a silver platter because you are entitled to it, but that's not the case. Your needs and wants are not above any other person in the world. You need to be reminded of your humility, and shown what it is like to be dragged down to hell. I thought that I taught you this lesson once before, but I can clearly see that you, like the child that you are, learned nothing, so therefore, I'll teach you as I was taught. I shall strip you of your foolish pride and have you begging at my feet for mercy, and at that very moment, the one where you grovel before me, I will crush you beneath my boots like the insect that you are.” Burnley sneered. “So here's how it's going to go. I am going to do whatever I want with you, and the entire time if I so much as see your cock even begin to get hard, I will use this scalpel to cut it right off. Now I know what you are thinking 'oh however will I stop myself from getting off on what Burnley's doing. ' Well my friend, that's completely up to you, but know this...” Burnley stopped and drew the blade down the length of Dustin's flaccid penis, digging the blade in just deep enough to scratch the surface. “Once you get an erection, blood flows into the organ at an alarming rate. Your pulse quickens, your heart beats faster and there's nothing you can do to stop it. If the penis is severed, while in this state, and left without medical care, the victim will only have around 3 minutes to live until he bleeds out.” Burnley lifted his head and pressed his lips against the shell of Dustin's ear. “And if you are thinking of taking the easy way out and dying on me, then know this, until I am satisfied that you are suitably punished for your attempted murder on my life, I will do whatever it is that I see fit for punishment, and that includes defiling your corpse. So, while your soul is on it's way to hell or wherever assholes like you go, my dick will be shoved so far up your ass, that you will be feeling it even in the afterlife. Just remember that you brought this onto yourself when you stepped foot on Prox and into my home.”</p><p>	Struggling against Burnley, Dustin tried his best to push away, but it was of no use. Even after recovering from surgery and without a fresh dose of the Eden drug in his system, Burnley was much too strong. With every push against him, Burnley pushed back, burying Dustin's head back into the soggy mattress.  Resistance was futile. His head was spinning from the trauma he had received in a short amount of time and he was starting to move in and out between consciousness. He was vaguely aware of Burnley's cold flesh pushing hard against him now, from behind, but strangely enough felt no pain, just a blissful numbness. It was like all his emotions shut off, and he was mentally someplace else. He thought for a moment about Ben, and in a way was relieved to hear of his death, simply because he couldn't bare the thought of him finding out about the things that he had done. A short time ago, Dustin would have been devastated to hear of Ben's passing, but now, as Burnley had said, there was nothing there, and it terrified him. The only thing that Dustin cared about in the world now was his white haired angel, Aurora, and now he knew that he would never get to see her again. For the last time in his life, Dustin allowed himself to cry. He felt one of Burnley's hands slip between his buttocks, his fingers slender and unforgiving, cold as ice, poking, prodding, pushing him open. He knew what was coming next, he had been through all of this before. Deciding to not struggle, Dustin waited, bent over the gurney, for that moment of icy coldness to penetrate him. </p><p>	Leaning down once more, Burnley whispered into Dustin's ear. “You brought this on yourself. All you had to do was walk away.” As Burnley pulled away, Dustin noticed that he sat the scalpel down on the mattress, right in plain sight. It was so close that he could reach out and take it. His fingers twitched, his arm bent slightly, his eyes focused on the blade. One quick stab was all he needed to get the monster off of him, then he could make a run for the door. Behind him, Burnley grabbed Dustin roughly by the hips. His grip was so tight, Dustin felt like his pelvis would shatter from the pressure. His eyes gleamed, looking at the silver blade right in front of him. His fingers stretched out over the mattress, and much to his surprise, he managed to get hold of the handle. It was at that exact moment, when Burnley thrust his cock into Dustin's clenched ass. Dustin let out a loud shriek and he dropped the blade. The air was forced out of his lungs and he struggled to breathe as Burnley's engorged member ripped and tore through flesh. His cries were cut short as Burnley pulled out and then slammed back into him, harder this time. It felt like he was being torn apart from the inside. Dustin's hands clenched into fists of rage, and he flailed about, trying to get free, but there was no way that Burnley would even let him move an inch. The more he struggled, the harder Burnley moved deeper into him. In and out, like a saw blade ripping and shredding with each violent thrust. Dustin's legs started to buckle, and the pain became almost too intense to bare. “Stop it stop it stop it stop it” he repeated over and over, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. “Get the hell off of me you psychotic maniac!”</p><p>	Grabbing hold of a handful of Dustin's hair, Burnley yanked his head back.  “I've been trapped here, wasting away for a VERY long time, Bates. I am not going to stop until I am completely satisfied, and that could quite possibly take hours. Shut up and take it like a man.”</p><p>	Deciding that he could take no more. Dustin let out a loud scream, and lunged for the discarded scalpel. Without looking around for a target, he went off instinct and shoved it backwards into Burnley's body hoping that it would hit a major organ.  The tip of the blade hit flesh. Shocked, Dustin reacted quickly, and using all his strength, shoved it in as far as it could go. There was a immediate warm feeling spreading down his hand, as the blood gushed from the gaping hole he created. He had found his mark. Dustin was elated.  Before he could react, Burnley pushed Dustin's arm away and there was a loud crack, as the bone snapped.  Dustin cried out and clutched onto the bed to keep from falling to his feet in pain. He knew that if he hit the floor, that would be the end of him, Burnley would be on him in a moment; he had to hold his ground.  </p><p>	The scalpel had penetrated Burnley's torso, just above the hip, missing any vital organs. He was bleeding profusely, but it wasn't a life threatening wound. With a sneer, he pulled the blade out and tossed it aside. “Bates. You are such a stupid mother fucker.” With that, Burnley pushed his head back down onto the bed, and immediately slammed his cock deep into Dustin. Dustin screamed again, and Burnley pulled back, and then slammed into him, as hard as he could. The momentum of Burnley's muscular body was strong and hard enough to loosen the screws free from where the gurney had been bolted down to the floor and the steel rattled loudly with every push. The blood from his wound dripping down over his body, and covering his dick, Burnley slid into Dustin's tight hole with a rapid pace, pushing, shoving, harder, faster, and even more violent than ever before.  Beneath him, Dustin could do nothing but grab at the sheets of the bed, trying to hold on against the searing pain that he was feeling. Burnley was so hard, so unforgiving, that Dustin knew he would never give in. He was literally going to fuck him to death.  There was so much blood, covering the two men, that he wasn't sure if it was his own or Burnley's. It streamed down between Dustin's legs like a river now, and he started to feel lightheaded and incredibly weak. The friction of Burnley's penis scraping against the shredded flesh of Dustin's insides felt like sandpaper. Each time he pushed in harder, further, he could feel his insides churn and his stomach wretch. Burnley was cock felt like a steel rod being inserted into him over and over, and the pain was so intense that Dustin wished for death. Exhausted, Dustin gave up and went limp. He let go of the bed and let his knees buckle, becoming dead weight. The room was spinning now and his vision was becoming blurry. Much to his surprise, Burnley removed his hands from Dustin's hips and let him fall away. There was a warm, wet feeling inside of Dustin as Burnley eased himself out from between his clenched cheeks. For a moment, he thought that Burnley was done, and that would be the end of it. He had came inside of him and would be finally satiated, but looking down, Dustin saw this was not true. There was steady stream of blood flowing out from his own body and running down the back of his legs. Something inside of him had ruptured.  He dropped down onto the floor and sprawled out. As his eyes began to close, Dustin saw the blood covered, naked Burnley walk away from him and towards the unconscious Lizzie. “No....” Dustin moaned. “Leave her out of this.”</p><p>	Burnley looked back over his shoulder. “What's this? Defending a stranger now? How noble of you... but I know the real you, Bates. You don't give a shit about her. Since you aren't able to take anymore, I thought that maybe I'd use her to finish. That wouldn't bother you, right?” Burnley hesitated. “Or maybe it would, but not because you are concerned about her, maybe it would be because you are jealous.”</p><p>	Across the room, Lizzie started to stir. </p><p>	Dustin struggled up to his feet, using the gurney as support. “Well, the way I see it, you're probably right, I am going to die here... hell, I can feel it already, I am dying now... so why not come over here and do what you said you would? You hurt her enough in the past.” Burnley stood still, and Dustin pushed his shoulders back and raised his head, glaring defiantly at Burnley. “Or maybe you really can't finish the job.”</p><p>	Flying across the room, Burnley was standing directly in front of Dustin in a heartbeat. “You end here and now, Bates.” Grabbing Dustin by the neck, Burnley picked him up and lifted him off the ground a few inches, scowling at him. Dustin's fingers tried to pry his hands away, but it was useless. Burnley craned his arm back and flung Dustin across the room, where he hit the wall, cracking the concrete and falling down to the floor instantly. Burnley was on him before he could even register what had happened. He picked the seemingly lifeless Dustin up and turned him around, pushing him against the wall that he had just broken. Bits of plaster rained down over him, as Burnley once again began his vicious assault, forcing himself onto the bruised and battered Dustin. Struggling, Dustin knew that he had to do the right thing now, he had to redeem himself so that Lizzie could have a chance to escape. There was nothing left for him. The pain he felt as Burnley fucked him hard against the wall had turned into intense agony. Each time Burnley thrust his hips forward and drove his throbbing rock hard cock further into Dustin, he would bite down on his lip to keep from screaming. He didn't want Burnley to have the pleasure of knowing how bad it hurt. Over and over this happened, for what seemed like an eternity. Chunks of the wall broke free around his face, sending a thick, noxious dust into the air that filled his lungs and began to cough. As he struggled for breath, Burnley used one hand and slammed the side of Dustin's face into the wall to shut him up. A star-field of bright lights filled his vision and a ringing started in his ears. Burnley had now stopped his incessant preaching and taunting, and remained silent as he had his way with his victim, treating Dustin like a rag doll. This had gone way beyond torture now, this was something else. It was Burnley releasing years of anger. Every pent up emotion and repressed feeling came spilling out of him, all at once in a intense and violent assault. After some time, Burnley stopped and Dustin tensed up. He knew what was coming, and he knew that he had to take it all.  Burnley leaned back, reaching a climax and exploded into Dustin's tight ass. Dustin screamed, Burnley's cum felt like someone was pour white hot metal into him.  It was finally over. He got what he wanted, satisfaction. Burnley let him drop down to the floor, where he lay, feeling the full effects now of severe internal bleeding. “I am done with you.”</p><p>	The room was quiet now. Burnley dressed without a sound. He made his way over to the far end of the room and turned on the sink, letting it slowly fill up with water. He leaned forward, resting his hands on either side of the sink and let the hot steam rise up around him. The  tense muscles in his shoulders and arms relaxed and he closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful solitude for a moment.  Punishing Dustin had taken a lot out of him, and he needed a recharge and soon. The absence of the Eden drug in his system was leaving him feeling slightly weakened, and he knew that he had to get another dose soon. </p><p>	Lizzie started coming to her senses and was now fully awake and looking around. The first thing she saw was Dustin's lifeless body crumpled up on the floor near the shattered wall. She let out a gasp, and took a step to go over to him, when she heard the sound of water running and saw Burnley. He gathered up handfuls of the scalding hot water and splashed it over his face, again and again, letting it run down his chest and torso. Small beads of moisture built up over his pale flesh and shone like diamonds on his glistening skin. Within a few moments, all traces of the violent act he had just committed were gone, washed down the drain and out of sight. Only the sutures from Lizzie's surgery and the deep penetration wound from the scalpel remained. Lizzie watched him as he opened up on of the cupboards and hastily bandage up the wound, and then found a discarded shirt which he slipped over his arms and left hanging open. He knew she was watching him. Walking over to the bed, he grabbed hold of the disgusting, soaked sheet and yanked it off, tossing it down over Dustin and then returned to the gurney. He sat down, his shoulders hunched, and his head lowered, letting the water from his hair drip down his face and off his nose. What Lizzie didn't see was Burnley's hands. They were trembling. </p><p>	 Clearing her throat, Lizzie spoke up. “What has happened here?” Her eyes went to the body under the sheet. “What did you do to him?”  She asked with fear in her voice. </p><p>	Casually crossing his legs and leaning back on the bed, Burnley remained silent. Lizzie instantly felt uncomfortable in Burnley's presence, like he was a predator staring down at it's prey. She was now having regrets about saving his life. Clearly something terrible had happened while she was unconscious.  “I'd... I'd like to go now. Can I leave? Please?”</p><p>	Underneath the sheet, Dustin moved slightly. He was still alive.  Burnley reclined on the bed, his eyes fixed upwards at the ceiling.  “No matter how hard the Shepherd tried to break the ties that bound everyone together, somehow we keep coming back to the same place, the same time, the same people. He thought he was a God who could change things, but the truth in the matter is that he couldn't. None of us can. We are all doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.” Burnley held up one of his hands in front of him and clenched it into a fist. “Villains can't become heroes. Anyone who believes otherwise is a fool.” </p><p>	“I... I... don't know what you're talking about. If it's all the same, I really need to leave. My son, he's out there, waiting for me and I have to go after him. Dustin... he bio-metrically locked the door, and we can't get out without the scan of his palm so.....”</p><p>	Burnley sat up, and looked over to Lizzie. “Your son...” His voice was like cracking of ice on a frozen lake. </p><p>	“Yes, Tristan. Ember brought me here to save your life, and used him as collateral to make sure that I would help you. It was a terrible thing to do, but I know how desperate you can get when the life of someone that you love is on the line. I am not angry with her, or with you... or even Dustin there. You all have your own problems to deal with. I fulfilled my part of the bargain and all I want is to get my son back. He's the most important thing in my life right now. I lost my husband and I can't lose him too.”</p><p>	“I had a son once...” Burnley's voice trailed off. </p><p>	Lizzie weighed her options carefully. She knew Burnley was dangerous, there was evidence all around of that, and judging from the odd way that he was acting, he could clearly snap at any time. If she pressed him too much, she would be putting herself in danger. She had to take her time and cater to whatever he wanted, at least for the moment. She decided to feign curiosity. “Had a son? What happened to him?” </p><p>	“He's gone.”</p><p>	“Oh.” Lizzie stammered. “What about his mother?”</p><p>	Saying nothing, Burnley stared Lizzie down and instantly regretted her words. She felt a shudder run down her spine, obviously had hit a nerve. She wrung her hands together nervously. The more he looked at her, the more she felt on edge. At first, his eyes on her only felt mildly uncomfortable, but now, there was something more sinister lurking behind his cold gaze.  Her nerves were screaming at her to get away. “I am sorry to hear that... loosing a child must be a horrific thing to go through. But... you have Ember, she's so beautiful, with the long red hair, and she's very devoted to you.</p><p>	“Is that what you think?” Burnley said, his voice now flat and emotionless.</p><p>	“Oh yes. She loves you dearly. I could see it in her eyes every single time she said your name. Tristan, my son, he is only a child still, but I look forward to the day when to see him all grown up. I... I am alone now too, my husband was taken from me, but I won't let that stop me from doing my best to see to it that his son becomes the man that his father once was.” Lizzie somehow managed to smile. “I guess that's what life is all about, isn't it? Learning from our parents and trusting them to lead us down the right path, so that we can fulfill our destiny and become good people.”</p><p>	Hopping down from the gurney, Burnley walked over and stood near Lizzie, his head cocked to the side, regarding her with interest. “You saved my life today.” She could see that he was very slightly trembling and seemed to be very anxious.</p><p>	“I did what had to be done.” She replied.</p><p>	Standing before her, Burnley's body seemed to sway slightly. He brought his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. </p><p>	“Hey, you don't look so good, are you alright?” Lizzie asked. “Maybe you should go sit down, maybe you should go lay down and let me take a look at you. You've only just recovered from surgery and lost a lot of blood.” Lizzie glanced down and saw where Burnley's shirt was hanging slightly open, revealing the now red saturated wadding of bandages. “This wound isn't closed yet, it's still bleeding. You're probably still too weak to be on your feet like this. Please let me help you.” Reaching for Burnley's elbow, she tried to help guide him over to the bed, but he pushed her away, growling.</p><p>	“It's not that... it's... something....ugh...” Overexerting himself from the wild motion of pushing her away, Burnley was overwhelmed by a rush of pressure in his head which obscured his vision, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall down to the floor, on his knees. In a moment, Lizzie was at his side, trying her best to help him. “I said get away from me!” Burnley shouted, glaring up at her. She could see that his eyes were  glazed, the bright amber color now slightly clouded and hazed over. His skin was ashen white, almost the color of snow and his hands shook uncontrollably. </p><p>	“What can I do?” Lizzie wracked her brain for a moment and then it came to her. The solution to both her problem and Burnley's sudden illness. “Ember! Burnley, help me get the door open and I can go get your daughter. She will know what to do for you, right?”</p><p>	Burnley was about to answer her, when there was a sudden flash of red and white that startled Lizzie and she fell backwards onto the floor. Looking up, her mouth dropped open, seeing Dustin Bates behind Burnley, with the bloodstained bed sheet twisted up and wrapped around Burnley's throat. Dustin had caught Burnley off guard and slung the tight wind of sheet over his head, letting it slip down onto his neck and using all his strength, began to pull. Fighting against him, Burnley clutched at the layers of the fabric, attempting to loosen the tight knot that was beginning to form, cutting off his oxygen supply. Lizzie sprung to her feet and grabbed at Dustin's hands and arms. “Stop it! You're killing him! This isn't the way for any of us to get out of here!”</p><p>	“IT'S THE ONLY WAY, LIZZIE!” Dustin snarled at her. “He's never going to let either of us out of here! Let me kill him and I will open the door.” Much like Burnley had done earlier, Dustin pushed her out of the way, flinging her halfway across the room. </p><p>	Getting back to her feet, tears streaming down her eyes, Lizzie screamed. “You're the one who locked us in here! This is all your fault!”</p><p>	Ignoring her, Dustin wound the fabric tighter around his hands, and placed one foot on the center of Burnley's back, trying to get better leverage and apply more pressure. It was taking him too long to die. Burnley attempted to stand, but Dustin had the upper hand this time and every time that he got his feet under him to rise, Dustin would kick them out, sending Burnley back down to the ground with even less air in his lungs. The rattles and gasps coming from his chest echoed loudly in the small room, and hearing them made Dustin happy. “This is finally it. Your last chapter, Burnley. I am leaving this room and walking away from you forever.” Dustin started to laugh. “I guess you didn't fuck me to death after all... rest assured that when you drop over, dead, I won't do anything to your corpse except finish what I started and set you on fire, just like you did to Ben. Like father, like son.” Dustin pulled on the material and it made a loud swishing noise in his hands as he tightened it, waiting with bated breath when the last bit of life left Burnley.</p><p>	Fed up and angry, Lizzie hurried back over to the men when she noticed the scalpel lying on the floor. Quickly, she snatched it up and lunged forward, grabbing a piece of the knotted sheet in one of her hands and slashing at it with the other. Dustin looked at her in disbelief. He tried to push her away again, but she simply stepped aside and slashed at the fabric again. There was the loud sound of ripping as the cotton threads started to separate, giving Burnley a few precious seconds of air. “What the fuck are you doing?” Dustin said furiously. “Get out of the way you stupid bitch!” Dropping his guard for a moment, Dustin pulled his hand back and threw a punch toward Lizzie. Still entwined in the sheet, Burnley started to rise up, and the momentum carried Dustin closer, which made his fist collide directly with Lizzie's face. His knuckles hit her nose and cheek at full force, and there was a sickening sound of cartilage snapping and a bright red spew of blood coming from her face. Lizzie stumbled backwards, toward the door, dropping the weapon and holding her face with both hands. Dustin had broke her nose and her cheekbone.</p><p>	Dustin looked on in horror. “Lizzie. Hey, are you alright? I didn't mean to....” </p><p>	His words were cut off as Burnley yanked on the sheet which he was still holding, pulling it and Dustin closer to him. Standing up at his full height, Burnley sneered at Dustin. “TWICE NOW I HAVE MADE THE MISTAKE OF LETTING YOU LIVE, BATES. THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A THIRD TIME. YOU ARE FUCKED NOW!” There was a flash of silver, and Dustin's eyes grew wide. Burnley was now holding onto the scalpel, the bright metal reflected eerily in his amber colored eyes. </p><p>	“no no no no”  Dustin looked over to Lizzie, who was holding a ripped off piece of her skirt to her face to staunch a nosebleed. One of her eyes had already begun to turn purple. “Lizzie. Don't let him do this! Don't you know what he is? He's more than a monster! Ask him about Tristan. Ask him about your son... HIS son...and Thomas... Burnley is Tristan's...” Dustin's words dropped off. Burnley grabbed the sheet and tossed it aside, revealing Dustin's naked body. His hand shot out and he took hold of Dustin's cock, squeezing it with a vice like grip. Being anally raped by Burnley and living through it twice, Dustin thought that he had been through the worst pain of his life, but now he knew that it was all just unicorns and rainbows compared to the agony he was feeling now. The corner of Burnley's lip upturned into a vicious sneer.</p><p>	“You want me to finish then, Bates? So be it.” Burnley's voice had dropped down to a low tone now, and strangely enough it wasn't frightening or terrifying, but eerily seductive and sensuous. He let up slightly on his grip and began to stroke Dustin's dick in almost a loving manner. Dustin shuddered and a involuntary wave of arousal coursed through him, causing his erection to throb painfully in Burnley's grasp. Lizzie turned away. Burnley leaned down and kissed Dustin on the lips. It set Dustin's entire body on fire. “Three minutes.” He heard Burnley whisper. There was a soft rustle of fabric, and then a blinding hot pain between Dustin's legs. His eyes looked to Burnley's, searching, trying to speak, but Burnley turned away, releasing Dustin's body with one hand, and tossing the bloody mass of his severed penis to the floor with the other. </p><p>	The thick mound of flesh flopped down out of his hand and across the floor, leaving a trail of tissue and clots behind it, before finally coming to a stop near the door. Lizzie started to wretch, heaving stomach bile out onto the floor, and across the room, Dustin screamed out loud in a shrill voice that could be heard throughout the base. Clutching at the place between his legs, Dustin thrashed about wildly, trying his best to staunch the bleeding. His hands grasped wildly at the mangled mess, he couldn't bare to look down and see the damage, but he could feel loose pieces of muscle flop about and slip between his fingers. The blood just poured out of him.  He knew that Burnley was right, he was going to die. Once more, he looked up at Lizzie. “This is a surgical suite... you can save me. Help me... please!” He begged. </p><p>	Standing in between Lizzie and Dustin, Burnley was motionless. Lizzie looked from him to Dustin and back again, unsure what to do. “What did he say?” She asked quietly, her voice no louder than a whisper. She turned her attention to Dustin. “What about my son? What do you know?” She crept towards him and stood over him. “You murdered my husband, and for what? So you could get here and play out this sadistic little revenge fantasy you have going on with Burnley? That's sick, Dustin, really sick. Thomas was a good man, and you ended his life.” Lizzie looked down at the bloodied bit of fabric she held in her hand. “I should let you die here too, but I am better than that. I will help you, if you tell me what you know about Tristan.”</p><p>	Dustin shook his head. “There's no time, you have to help me.... now.”</p><p>	Burnley made his way over to the door, the silent stoic statue. </p><p>	Using the back of her arm, Lizzie wiped the last traces of blood away from her face. “Help me get him onto the gurney.”</p><p>	“No.” Burnley said curtly.</p><p>	Lizzie whirled around, leaving Dustin and raced over to Burnley, confronting him. “I saved your life, it's what I do, let me save his.”</p><p>	Burnley faced Lizzie, and for one brief moment, she noticed how much he looked like his father, Benjamin. “He can't be saved. It's too late, you know this. There isn't anything you can do. Don't waste anymore time on him. Save the living, Lizzie, not the dead.”</p><p>	Feeling defeated, Lizzie walked over to the door. She didn't want to turn around and see Dustin anymore. She motioned toward it. “It won't open. He sealed it. The only way the lock will release is with a palm scan from Dustin, but it has to be viable. If the scanner reads dead flesh it won't work and we will be locked in here, forever.”</p><p>	Burnley sighed and turned around looking at Dustin who was now trying to retreat further back into the room. He scampered and crawled through the many puddles of blood that covered the floor, trying to get away. Exhausted, he collapsed just as Burnley stopped in front of him and stood over him, a towering, imposing figure, the harbinger of death. Suddenly Dustin started to laugh. “Brock won't love you Burnley. He has Siobhan now, a woman, who satisfies him more than you do. He doesn't want to suck your dick anymore, he's got the real thing. They are going to be married, do you know that? And I bet you that they will end up with a big, happy family. Not like you who has to rape women or steal children to be his own because he can't man up and be a father.”</p><p>	Burnley clutched the scalpel tight in his hand. Dustin spit at him. “Go ahead and finish me off. I've only got... what... two minutes left before I am done for anyway. I don't give a shit.... but before I die, I have to tell you something, just because I want to see the look on your face.... it's about Brock.”</p><p>	From behind, Lizzie shook her head. “Dustin, no. Not now.” Her heart raced. She was so close to escaping that she could feel it. He was going to mess everything up.</p><p>	Bending down, Burnley pulled one of Dustin's arms away and held it flat out against the cold floor. Dustin looked at him with contempt and pure hatred. “No matter what you do, you are never going to be with Brock again...” Seemingly paying no attention, Burnley brought the blade down over Dustin's wrist and let it sink into the flesh. Instantly, the red fountain of blood shot up, spraying over Burnley's clothes and splashing his face. Dustin shrieked, and then let out a blood curdling cry of agony as the blade hit bone. Pushing the force of his entire weight on it, Burnley let it snap, snap, snap snap deeper and deeper into the tender meat. Dustin couldn't fight anymore, he lie on the floor, his arms outstretched, slowly bleeding as Burnley cut through the last few tendons. “Brock.... isn't.... here.... your daughter.... Ember... left him behind on Earth..... in..... a.... coma..... New... West..... they …. are coming for him.....the Everything machine..... destroyed.... there's no way back... you're trapped... here.... alone... and you..... always will be.... your own.... daughter.... betrayed you....” There was a sickening wet pop as Burnley's blade severed the remaining muscles of his hand. Dustin tried to laugh, but a bubble of blood had formed in his mouth and caused him to choke. </p><p>	Slowly, Burnley rose to his feet and turned to look toward Lizzie. The splatter of blood over his face and horrific expression truly frightened her. He stood in the center of the room, over Dustin's dying body, holding on to the hand which he had just cut off. Blood was slowly dripping from it and pooling up at his feet. It was a nightmarish hell.  He looked to Lizzie, waiting. She didn't need to say anything to her to ask for proof of Dustin's claim. Her expression showed it all. Burnley didn't say a word, he didn't cry out in rage or show any emotion at all. Calmly, he walked around Dustin and glared down at him. His intense amber eyes shot right through the dying man, one final time. Then in one swift motion, Burnley raised one of his feet which were clad in thick leather combat boots and brought it crashing down onto Dustin's head. Lizzie screamed, blocking out the sound of the skull cracking. Brains exploded everywhere, covering Burnley's boots and making the floor slick. Dustin's naked, castrated body began to go into violent, seizures, and it flopped around uncontrollably for a few minutes on the floor like a fish out of water before that last electrical currents left the muscle. All that was left was a mangled corpse in the center of the room. </p><p>	Walking away, Burnley returned to Lizzie, who was cowering and shaking. She didn't know what to expect next. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she murmured. “Burnley can you tell me about.... my son... please tell me. I must know. What was Dustin saying?”</p><p>	Facing the door, Burnley didn't look at her. “Don't ask me that. You saved my life today. So I am granting you yours. Get Tristan and get as far away from here as you can.” Holding up the bloodied stump of a hand towards the sensor, there was a quick burst of light as the computer scanned it and the door slid open. Burnley stepped out into the hallway, while Lizzie still remained at the entrance. “Know this. If I see you or the boy again, I will not hesitate to kill you both.” Pausing for a moment, Burnley flung Dustin's severed, lifeless hand back into the room and headed out into the darkened corridor. </p><p>	Inside the room, Lizzie watched him walk away. From the first moment that she arrived on Prox and Tristan was taken away from her, she wanted to go run after him, to find where he had been taken, but now, she found that she couldn't move. Her entire body felt numb and cold from what she had just been forced to experience, and she needed a moment to collect herself before the next chapter started. Looking back into the room, at the carnage and gore, she couldn't help but to feel remorse and regret. Had she made the right decision in saving Burnley? Was he truly the monster that everyone claimed he was, or was he just another victim? What if it was Dustin who was the hero? What if he was the one meant to put a end to Burnley's reign of terror on Prox and now because of her choices, he lie dead in a pool of his own blood, mutilated and defiled? How was she supposed to know which was wrong and which was right? It all started with the choice the Shepherd gave her.</p><p>	With her back leaning against the wall, she slowly slid down and rested her head against her knees. Dustin and Burnley both knew a secret about her son, and the knowledge of this was sitting in her stomach like a stone, thick and heavy. How would she ever discover the truth? Burnley had given her a stern warning to leave. This was his home, after all and they were just intruders, strangers really meant to be cast out into the burning sands of the desert, or made to face Burnley's wrath. Remembering what he had done to Dustin, Lizzie knew what her choice had to be. She would find her son and then leave. Somehow, they would make it. </p><p>	With tears streaming down her cheeks, Lizzie spoke softly. “I don't believe in one great being that watches over us, and I don't believe in blind faith.... but right now, I need to believe in something. I miss you so much, my Thomas, and I know you're out there, somewhere guiding us. Please, help me... I can't do this on my own.” Taking a deep breath, Lizzie pushed herself to her feet, and stood up as tall as she could. No matter what happened next, she would face it head on, with strength, because she was a mother and her son needed her. </p><p>	The hallway beyond the medical wing was unusually cold and dark. It was dimly lit, and every now and then one of the florescent lights would flash on and off, creating ghastly shadows on the walls. She had only taken a few steps when she heard it... Burnley's voice crying out and echoing down the maze of corridors. It was terrifyingly mocking, and in her head she could see the sneer on Burnley's face. He was calling out for her, for his daughter, the one who had left Brock abandoned and near death on Earth.  Moving in the opposite direction of his voice, Lizzie started to run, she needed to get away. The sound of his voice was everywhere, all at once, even in her head. She put her hands over her ears and kept running, moving as fast as her feet could carry her. Deep inside the Shallow Bay, Lizzie blundered down the halls, wondering what would become of Burnley's daughter if he caught her. </p><p>	Covered in red splashes of Dustin's fresh blood, Burnley walked the corridors one at a time, sliding his fingers down the walls, his boots clicking on the floor. His shirt fell open and flapped behind him like great black wings. “Ember.....Where are you, my darling?”<br/>
“Ember........”<br/>
“EMBER.........”<br/>
“EMBER.............”<br/>
“EMBERRRRRRRR!!!”</p>
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